Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Advances Bipartisan and Fiscally Responsible Transportation Reauthorization Bill
Click here to watch Sen. Barrasso’s remarks.
WASHINGTON, DC –Today, at a Senate Environment and Public Works Committee business meeting, U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY), ranking member on the Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure, spoke in favor of a 6-year bipartisan surface transportation bill, the MAP-21 Reauthorization Act (S. 2322).
Barrasso, one of the four bipartisan sponsors of the bill, was successful in securing key provisions that provide flexibility and equity for rural states like Wyoming. S. 2322 was favorably advanced out of the committee today by a voice vote. Click here for the bill text for S.2322 and a bill summary.
Excerpts of Senator Barrasso’s remarks:
“Thank you very much Madam Chairman, and thank you also to Ranking Member Vitter, and Subcommittee Chairman Carper for working with me and my staff in a bipartisan way so we could introduce the MAP-21 Reauthorization Act and get this bill before the full committee today.
“I believe we have crafted a bill in a fiscally conservative way at current funding levels plus inflation. And we have ensured that the vast majority of program dollars are distributed to States by formula.
“The bill continues the current highway program formula for distribution of funds among States. The formula has long respected the important contributions to the nation of roads in rural states like Wyoming, not just in heavily populated States.
“The bill continues to provide funds for roads in National Parks and across Federal lands and for tribal transportation. I want to thank you Madame Chairman for agreeing to language in this bill for western and rural communities.
“For new and existing programs, the bill includes language to ensure that rural states can apply for innovative financing and projects of regional and nation significance.
“The bill provides new authority for U.S. Department of Transportation to provide exceptions from, and flexibility in, administering regulations as they are applied to rural road and bridge projects.
“The bill provides new flexibility for States in meeting data collection rules from the Federal Government regarding unpaved roads.
“The bill also achieved increased State authority to designate roads as critical rural freight corridors, thereby increasing State flexibility in the administration of the new freight program.
“While no bill is perfect, I believe we were able to draft this bill on a bipartisan basis. So I appreciate the work by all of the member committees and want to thank you again Madame Chairman for including these provisions that provide flexibility and equity for rural states like Wyoming.”
Background on Barrasso Provisions included in the Bill:
Indexing Categorical Exclusion Projects
This provision allows projects with categorical exclusions to adjust the project dollar amounts for inflation. MAP-21 currently allows for categorical exclusions for projects for any highway or transit project that receive less than $5 million in Federal funds. Unless those amounts are adjusted for inflation, the value of the categorical exclusion will degrade over time.
Critical Rural Freight Corridor Designation Flexibility
This provision provides the states with more flexibility to designate rural routes as critical rural freight corridors. This would include designating routes to agricultural and forestry facilities or energy development that connect to primary freight networks or interstate highways.
Rural Road Waivers
This provision provides the Secretary of Transportation with new authorities to provide exceptions and exemptions that provide regulatory relief and flexibility for rural road and rural bridge projects.
Congestion Mitigation Air Quality (CMAQ) Program
This provision reinstates flexibility for states that have at least one nonattainment area to use CMAQ funding for rural transit operations or street sweeping equipment to limit particulate pollution in attainment areas.
Projects of National Significance Eligibility
Provides language to ensure that, under the new grant program for projects of national or regional significance, that projects in a low population density state like Wyoming would be eligible at lower dollar amounts than the eligibility threshold for projects in more densely populated states.
TIFIA Qualification
Provides language in the bill to ensure that Wyoming “rural” projects would qualify for lower interest rates and require a lower project dollar amount in order to be eligible under the program.
Rural Road Data Collection Delay
Provides language in the bill that would delay a MAP-21 requirement that State DOTs collect that same amount of data on a gravel road as a major intersection in Cheyenne. This provision delays this requirement for 10 years.
Freight Program Requirement Delay
Provides language to ensure a reasonable transition period for states before the effective date of new requirements to establish a freight state advisory committee and a state freight plan under a freight program of the overall highway program.
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