November 7, 2009

Transportation

Build America Bonds

Senator Wyden is convinced that Oregon's economic future is directly tied to the quality of its infrastructure. He is equally convinced that putting men and women back to work building roads, fixing bridges, and providing mass transit is one of the best ways to attack unemployment and address budget shortfalls.

That is why the Senator has introduced the Build America Bonds Act, a major transportation infrastructure initiative with the potential to create millions of jobs, generate billions in economic activity and save thousands of lives by improving transportation safety. Build America Bonds would provide a one-time federal bonding program of $50 billion in additional funding for all types of transportation including roads, bridges, rail, mass transit, and ports. This funding would be in addition to the dollars states receive from the Federal Transportation Trust Fund.

The Build America Bonds Act would provide an important shot in the arm to the US economy without being a drain on federal or state budgets. This legislation is a creative solution to a critical problem. By giving Americans the opportunity to invest in the nation's infrastructure, these bonds will not only create jobs, they'll also save lives.

Click here to read the Bill.

Amtrak

With more than half of our nation's oil imported from overseas, the security of our nation's energy future is among the biggest economic and national security challenges faced by our nation. To achieve the goal of energy independence, America must develop a balanced, long-term plan that provides incentives to encourage energy conservation, increases energy efficiency, and further develops alternative forms of energy and transportation.

Senator Wyden believes that Amtrak is a vital part of our nation's passenger transportation system and sufficient funding is needed to sustain its national network of passenger rail service. The Senator continues to fully support this essential mode of transportation by providing additional funding for Amtrak and supporting the return of the Pioneer Route.

Alternative Transportation

Senator Wyden has long been an advocate for promoting alternative transportation options. The Senator supports increasing safety and access for bicycles and pedestrians in the transportation system. Bicycling encourages physical and mental well-being and also provides an efficient form of transportation that does not pollute the environment.

With this in mind, the Senator introduced the Bicycle Commuters Benefits Act, which extends the benefits that employers can offer their employees for commuting by public transit, car or truck to those who ride their bicycles to and from their jobs. By providing an incentive for commuters to give up the cars and trucks and get on their bicycles instead, this legislation helps citizens who want to do their part to reduce oil dependence by commuting to work by bicycle.

The Bicycle Commuters Benefits Act was included in the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 and became law October 3, 2008, allowing employers to give bike commuters an allowance of $20 per month when they use their bicycle to commute to their jobs.

Possible 18-Month Extension of SAFETEA-LU

The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee is working on an 18-month extension to the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), which expires on September 30, 2009. This bill would ensure funding for the highway trust fund for the next 18 months.

Because this is only an 18-month extension to provide funding for the trust fund, the Committee is currently planning on simply extending SAFETEA-LU, with no significant policy changes and no Member-designated projects.

However, there is not yet an agreement with the House on how the extension will occur, so the current approach could change, and Senator Wyden and Senator Merkley jointly requested authorization for Oregon projects in case Member-designated projects are included at some point in the process.

  • Read Senator Wyden and Senator Merkley's joint submission to the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.

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