Congress Approves Final Highway/Transit Bill

The House and Senate overwhelmingly passed final legislation July 29 reauthorizing the federal highway and transit programs through FY 2009.

The House approved the measure 412-8; the Senate vote was 91-4.

The Safe, Accountable, Flexible and Efficient Transportation Equity Act-A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) will provide $286.5 billion in guaranteed funding for the federal highway, transit and safety programs. The investment level is $2.5 billion more than the House-passed TEA-21 reauthorization bill and $7.5 billion less than the Senate's version.

President Bush is expected to sign the measure.

The level of investment contained in the bill was made possible largely by the reforms enacted last year to the federal tax treatment of ethanol motor fuels. The ethanol tax changes ensured the Highway Trust Fund will be compensated for the sale of ethanol motor fuels and will provide $18.9 billion in new trust fund revenues that will be used by the multi-year reauthorization of TEA-21 to improve the nation's highway infrastructure network.

The chambers also approved July 29 an extension of administrative expenses for the agencies overseeing the federal surface transportation programs through Aug. 14. The current extension of the federal highway and transit programs expires July 30, and this latest extension does not provide any new federal highway or transit funds. The measure, however, will allow U.S. Department of Transportation employees to continue to work while the multi-year bill is prepared for Bush's signature.

The measure includes a number of policy provisions called for in the 2001 ARTBA TEA-21 Reauthorization Task Force Report.

Officials, Engineers Directory Now Available

The American Road & Transportation Builders Association has published its 2005 Transportation Officials & Engineers Directory, which provides address, phone and fax information for more than 6,000 county, state and federal employees. E-mail and Internet contact information is also provided, if available.

Offered as a pocket-sized publication or a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, the directory includes key listings for the U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Highway Administration, as well as information on national transportation design and construction-related organizations and key transportation leaders in the U.S. Congress.

The pocket directory can be ordered for $195 (ARTBA members) or $249 (non-members). The Excel spreadsheet is available for $395 (ARTBA members) or $495 (non-members). Send a check or money order, plus an additional $11 for shipping and handling to: ARTBA, The ARTBA Building, 1010 Massachusetts Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20001, or call ARTBA's Christy Woodall at (888) 821-9653.