Westport Minuteman
By Bonnie Adler
A host of Fairfield County public officials and transportation experts, all of whom share the audacious hope of repairing the local and national transportation crisis, gathered in Westport on Monday for a transportation forum sponsored by United States Representative Christopher Shays.
The forum, held at Town Hall, was led by six transportation experts who as a group confirmed that America's transportation infrastructure is currently woefully antiquated and in need of repair or in many cases replacement, with future plans underfunded and lacking in consistency across the nation, all in a context of rising energy costs and increasing world-wide competition.
The experts all agreed that the nation's dependence on cars and trucks, highways and bridges was no longer adequate and its failure to invest in transit-oriented development was going to threaten the United States' ability to compete in the worldwide market, and that the state and federal government still lack a coherent plan for the future.
Shays urged an agenda that would focus on repairing the existing infrastructure and expanding it to accommodate increased volume and decreasing dependence on foreign oil. He said he is working on bipartisan legislation that will bring together experts from around the world to establish a comprehensive vision to help renew and rebuild the nation's transportation, energy and water infrastructure to meet the challenges of the 21st century.
Shays asked for the experts to identify what is needed to fix the transportation infrastructure and called for attention to be paid to what he called "all the inconvenient truths" like global warming, Islamist terrorism, and the transportation network of the United States.".
Shays said, "We need to have an honest conversation and show courage. Courage involves telling people things they may not want to hear, but that they should have heard a long time ago. I am looking for a mandate."
Frank McArdle, Senior Advisor at the General Contractors Association of New York and a member of the National Commission on Transportation Policy and Finance, gave a bleak picture of the present and future state of transportation affairs saying, "We need to change things fundamentally. The transportation system is at its peak. For the last 30 years we have underinvested in our national transportation system. Our Federal program is bankrupt with no vision in the programs."
Bob Yaro, President of Regional Plan Association, America's oldest independent metropolitan policy, research and advocacy group and a regional group that focuses on the tri-state area said, "We want to build bipartisan support for a national infrastructure initiative. We have used up the capacity of the infrastructure, bankrupted all the transportation trust funds."
He contrasted the failed American rail system with the modern trans-European network with its high speed rail links, and added that China is now heavily investing in its infrastructure strategy.
"They are rationally planning for the future. We have stopped investing in the capacity needed for the global economy." Yaro pointed to the need for "an Acela that works, setting the stage for high speed rail."
Several panelists mentioned the need for congestion pricing, and Yaro said he felt that although the concept failed recently in Manhattan, it would ultimately be put in place to provide the necessary funding used to create expanded rail service for goods and individuals.
"We have to make the investments in transportation," he said. "People need choices so they don't have to spend $150 bucks a week filling up the tank."
Jim Boice, Deputy Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Transportation, called for a new beginning in transportation planning. "Our highway trust fund cannot sustain itself at current levels. We are living off excess capacity. Much of our infrastructure needs to be replaced, such as the Q Bridge in New Haven and the Moses Wheeler Bridge that spans the Housatonic River. We need to educate our new president and our new Congress."
He said a new bill would have to clarify the role of federal state and local systems, and require greater accountability in spending tax dollars and national safety standards. He said it was essential to figure out how such a system would be paid for, whether through congestion pricing, tolling, gas tax, national sales tax. "What is the backbone on funding the transportation system?"
Floyd Lapp, who is the Executive Director of the South Western Regional Planning Agency which leads the transportation issues, programs and projects for the densest and most congested portion of Connecticut discussed various solutions now in the planning stages. He advocated obtaining additional funding for transit-oriented development, such as new commuter cars, and a statewide study of congestion pricing.
Lapp, who said it was imperative to redress the mistakes of the last 60 years, is seeking solutions for those who "leave the highway." He advocated the need to increase "walkability" (building more businesses and residences near transportation hubs), study at congestion pricing and implement high occupancy toll lanes. Like the other experts, Lapp supported high speed rail links between metropolitan areas, and high speed ferries which need to be reinvigorated in order to keep competitive with the rails.
Joe McGee, Vice President of Public Policy and Programs for the Business Council of Fairfield County, said an analysis of commercial real estate in Stamford shows that rents are more than double for offices buildings within walking distance of the railroad station as compared to those in suburban campuses, proving that people are eager to take mass transit wherever possible. He noted that while it is a politically unpopular concept, there will have to be higher taxes to support the decision to invest in the infrastructure of Fairfield County. McGee also said that average number of stories in the cities is rising as businesses and residents are growing vertically since there is no more room to spread out.
Original Article: http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19786254&BRD=1654&PAG=461&dept_id=12915&rfi=6
Click here to read more about Christopher's views on transportation issues
Paid for and authorized by the Christopher Shays for Congress Committee, Ralph DePanfilis, Treasurer
Christopher Shays for Congress | 98 East Avenue | Norwalk, CT 06851
p: 203/853-7429 or 866/619-7429 (toll free) | f: 203/853-7403
© 2008 Shays for Congress
powered by eNilsson
