News Clips 3-25-14

Today's Clips: 0 MARTA 1 Atlanta/Geor ia Transit/Transportation 2 National ! "nternational Transit/Transportation

MARTA A#C$ 03-25-14 MARTA and t%e as ta& Moderated by Tom Sabulis The Georgia General Assembly recently passed a bill that allows MARTA a bit more flexibility in planning its future. Today, the transit agencys leader writes about the arious ways that components of that bill can help MARTA build on its mission, perhaps e en to !layton !ounty. "n our second column, a group of transportation and business leaders tal# about the importance of finding an alternati e to dwindling motor$fuel tax re enues, in order to #eep state and national highways and bridges safe for dri ers. 'o(e tools to )*ild wit% %y &eith T. 'ar#er (hen Georgia lawma#ers appro ed most of MARTAs )*+, legislati e agenda last wee#, it seemed to signal a hopeful ote of confidence in the progress were ma#ing to ensure metro Atlantas transit system continues to impro e. -.%. ).,, better #nown as /the MARTA bill,0 included #ey initiati es the agency wants to implement but which first re1uired legislati e action. 2 erall, the bills passage complements the transformational efforts now underway to streamline MARTAs business practices, hold fol#s accountable for misbeha ing and to continue on a path of fiscal sustainability. Most important to me, the legislature did not mandate any new o ersight or actions that would limit my ability to run the agency. -ere are a few highlights of how the bill impacts MARTA3 4 The 5*65* mandate 7 MARTA gets relief for three years from the law re1uiring an e en$split of its re enues for operating and capital expenditures through 8une 9*, )*+:. (hile any reprie e is welcome, temporarily lifting this restriction has little practical impact on MARTAs short$term financial outloo#. "n principle, the mandate itself is outdated and unnecessary; a future legislature should see fit to eliminate it permanently. 4 'ublic$'ri ate 'artnerships 7 <or the first time, MARTA will be authori=ed to recei e unsolicited proposals to contract with the pri ate sector in the creation and de elopment of efficient and inno ati e ideas without undergoing the traditional bidding process. This pro ision empowers MARTA to potentially

engage in /managed competition0 entures with its own employees who want to bid against pri ate companies for contracts to pro ide goods and ser ices. 4 Ride with Respect fines 7 MARTAs new code of conduct policy features suspension for arious iolations. Although there are details still to be resol ed, the law will allow MARTA to impose and collect fines from iolators. 4 Two$step union negotiations 7 "n an effort to expedite the successful conclusion of labor contract tal#s, the bill eliminated an existing pro ision that re1uired petitioning the go ernor for binding interest arbitration if an impasse occurs. >nder such circumstances, the process mo es from a neutral fact finder to a ?udge who ma#es the final ruling, li#ely sa ing time and money. 4 %oard Go ernance 7 >nder changes sought by legislati e leaders, MARTAs board will add one new seat for a total of +9 @including two non$ oting membersA. Three Be&alb board members will be appointed by the county commission; the fourth by a caucus of mayors. 2ne representati e for South <ulton will be appointed by commissioners; the remaining two by a caucus of Corth <ulton mayors. "n the city of Atlanta, the mayor will select appointees affirmed by the city council. The go ernor gains a new board appointee who must reside in either <ulton or Be&alb !ounty. %oard members will ser e staggered terms. These changes will go into effect 8anuary )*+:. Although separate from MARTAs legislati e wish list, transit supporters cheered the passage of -% ).5. This measure allows !layton !ounty to le y a one$cent sales tax to possibly ?oin MARTA. Since the )*+* demise of !laytons bus ser ice, !$Tran, public calls for new transit ser ice are mounting. " personally recei e constant comments about the need for !layton to ?oin MARTA. Granted, the final ersion of -% )., lac#ed some of the legislati e items MARTA had originally hoped to ad ance. As our legislation bounced between both chambers, last$minute changes were ine itable. (e applaud elected officials and others who support MARTAs mission 7 e en if they didnt support this bill. As !D2, " want to than# board members and #ey staff who guided us through the rough$and$tumble of this years legislation session. 2n behalf of our customers and employees, "m also grateful for state lawma#ers who last wee# entrusted us with the legislati e tools needed to #eep MARTA mo ing ahead. Keith T. Parker is general manager and CEO of MARTA.

+e,reasin ta& re-en*es .or,e new plans %y Drnest E. Greer and Michael Sulli an "n Georgia and (ashington, B.!., serious con ersations are ta#ing place about transportation F in particular, how the critical infrastructure pro?ects that manage traffic, ensure safety and protect our economy will be funded in the future. (hile Georgias population and congestion continue to grow, transportation funding from current sources steadily declines. At the same time, the sol ency of the <ederal -ighway Trust <und is at ris#, as is the reauthori=ation of a long$term federal highway bill F both of which ha e a direct and significant impact on our state funding strategy. Recently, the Georgia General Assembly passed a bill sponsored by -ouse Transportation !hairman 8ay Roberts, R$2cilla, and Senate Transportation !hairman Ste e Gooch, R$Bahlonega, that creates a much$needed ?oint legislati e study committee on critical transportation infrastructure funding. "n (ashington, !ongress is considering, among other things, the future of the motor fuel tax as well as transportation reauthori=ation proposals from both 'resident %arac# 2bama and -ouse (ays and Means !hairman Ba e !amp. %oth plans rely hea ily on corporate tax reform as a foundation. (e applaud Georgia -ouse Spea#er Ba id Ralston and Et. Go . !asey !agle for the Eegislatures leadership on this issue, and hope that spirit of cooperation will extend to (ashington. "n both cases, we hope leaders will de elop a path forward that is inno ati e, multi$modal and focused not only on the next fi e years, but the next )5 years of transportation in estment. This will not be easy, and it will re1uire bipartisan cooperation. %ut the impact of whate er outcome is reached is critical not only for Georgia, but for our nation. Ceither discussion can be had in a silo. "n the >nited States, each le el of go ernment has an interrelated role in infrastructure de elopment, operation and maintenance. Eocal go ernments own and maintain the roads that feed into state$owned highways. Those highways feed into the national interstate system and connect to our ports and airports. State and federal go ernments wor# together on research and standards so that roads and bridges are properly inspected, and they collaborate on plans that ensure transit expansion across the country meets the needs of our communities. 2 er the past ten years, .) percent of Georgias transportation spending has come from the federal highway trust fund, or the motor fuel tax, which continues to decline in real alue. 2ther states face the same issue. Also, >.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony <oxx noted recently that more than +,*** of

Americas bridges are o er .* years old and in need of repair. This is a serious national problem with ma?or conse1uences for public safety and, ultimately, our place in the world economy. "mpro ing road safety, funding repairs, expanding infrastructure and pro iding iable transportation options are all critical to any states economic growth. As this con ersation continues, we encourage our state and federal elected officials to ta#e a thoughtful approach to our transportation challenges F an approach that addresses our most critical needs while planning for the future. "t is our hope that, rather than rhetoric, the coming months will include a constructi e dialogue about how we can create a transportation system for generations to come. Ernest L. Greer is chairman of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce. Michael S lli!an is chairman of the Georgia Trans"ortation Alliance.

A#C$ 03-25-14 Clayton on t%e road to restorin transit %y Tammy 8oyner Residents in transit$star ed !layton !ounty could get a chance $ possibly this fall $ to decide whether their wallet matches their wishes for public transportation. State lawma#ers cleared the way last wee# for !layton to begin exploring what type of public transit system might best fit its needs. 'aying a penny tax to ?oin MARTA is one of those options but the county also is loo#ing at others such as public$pri ate entures or a totally$funded county transit system, !laytons top elected official told The Atlanta 8ournal$!onstitution Monday. /(e want a best$fit transportation system for !layton. (e dont want a system for the sa#e of ha ing one,0 !ommission !hairman 8eff Turner said. Turner said last wee#s passage of -ouse %ill +**G is a /tool in the countys toolbox.0 /They ?ust pa ed the way for us to ta#e it under consideration should we decide to go forward with transit in MARTA.0 (hile a few other metro counties are twea#ing their transit systems, !laytons push for public transit is the most aggressi e so far in the two years since oters across the region resoundingly defeated a regional transportation sales tax that would ha e created a unified regional transit plan. As it stands now, only <ulton, Be&alb and the city of Atlanta are financing MARTA. A penny sales tax in !layton could raise H,G million a year for !layton transit, according to the Sierra !lubs Regional Action to "mpro e Ei ability campaign. Turner indicated Monday that hell push for a nonbinding referendum similar to the one in )*+* in which oters o erwhelmingly fa ored ?oining MARTA. The county is waiting on the results of a feasibility study thats loo#ing at the best transit system options for the county. A binding referendum, Turner said, would loc# the county into a system that may not concur with the studys findings, which arent expected until some time in the fall. !layton is the only metro Atlanta county without local public transit. !ounty commissioners discontinued the !$Tran bus system four years ago this month because there was no money in the budget for it. /(hats important to me is input from citi=ens @about what #ind of transit system they wantA and ha ing a system that ade1uately addresses the needs of !layton !ounty,0 Turner said. /"m not saying MARTA couldnt meet the needs but we

want to loo# at all options.0 A higher percentage of !layton residents dont ha e cars or other transportation options. MARTA, which runs buses and commuter trains throughout the region, operated !$Tran for !layton during its nine$year existence. Darlier this month during his State of the !ounty address, Turner said restoring transit was ital to impro ing economic de elopment in !layton. /'eople in !layton really want transit,0 said Sen. Gail Ba enport, chairperson of the !layton !ounty Eegislati e Belegation. /The citi=ens really need it for ?obs and schools and @getting to theA health care system.0 The MARTA referendum is one of two possible taxes being considered this year. "n addition to re i ing local transportation, the county also is trying to figure out a way to sa e its financially$strapped hospital. %ut renewed fur or o er transit in !layton is tempered by some star# realities. !layton is still trying to emerge from its recessionary ills3 a struggling local economy, higher$than$a erage foreclosures, residents who e lost ?obs, and other pressing problems. 2ne of the most pressing3 its financially ailing hospital. "n fact, oters in !layton !ounty and its se en municipalities are slated to ote in May whether to appro e a special$tax plan that would raise H):9 million for roads and other needs, including sa ing the hospital. "f passed, a +$cent Special 'urpose Eocal 2ption Sales Tax would be extended o er six years, beginning in )*+5. %ut can !layton afford to ?uggle two tax$boosting plansI 2fficials stopped short of ma#ing the prediction. /%ecause of the high foreclosures and @strugglingA economy, people ha ing lost their ?obs, citi=ens will loo# at whether they can afford to pay additional taxes,0 Ba enport conceded Monday. Ba enport and other members of the !layton delegation en isioned bus ser ice being the initial offering followed later by rail ser ice. %ut its unclear when that could happen. <or now, !layton residents rely on a #nitted$together system of transportation. Since !$Tran died, Georgia Regional Transportation Authority Jpress bus ser ice is the only public transit in the county. "t carries people from par#$and$ride spots in 8onesboro and Ri erdale to downtown and Midtown Atlanta. "t doesnt run within the county or ta#e people to the airport.

Atlanta/Geor ia Transit/Transportation 'aportaReport$ 03-24-14 Mayor /asi( Reed presents Co*n,il a new 0,onne,ted1 option .or M2/ +r3 %y Maria Saporta "n an unusual turn of e ents, Atlanta Mayor &asim Reed and his staff <riday presented a possible compromise on the proposed alignment of Martin Euther &ing 8r. Bri e around the new <alcons stadium in an effort to satisfy concerns expressed by members of the Atlanta !ity !ouncil and members of the community. !ouncilmember Andre Bic#ens, had led a unanimous !ouncil effort see#ing to preser e the /connecti ity0 of Martin Euther &ing 8r. Bri e on both sides of Corthside Bri e. -e as#ed the mayor and his administration to present alternati es that would maintain that connecti ity rather than ha e ME& be turned into the much narrower Mitchell Street west of Corthside Bri e. So Bic#ens called a meeting <riday morning where the mayor presented a new set of plans F one that loo#ed similar to an alternati e the <alcons had re?ected earlier in the process. @2ne interesting twist is that Reed and Bic#ens could not ha e been more cordial with each other F Reed had campaigned enthusiastically against Bic#ens in fa or of incumbent !ouncilmember Eamar (illis, who lost his seat in Co emberA. /My staff tried to address the concerns raised by !ouncil,0 Reed told the specially$called meeting. /(e said we will loo# at the map and the physical design constraints of the south site.0 The presence of the MARTA tunnel has made it necessary for the <alcons to situate the new stadium as far south as possible on the site. "t also caused stadium designers to change the planned road design of ME& from circling bac# around the stadium to reconnect to ME& at Corthiside Bri e to ?ust ha ing ME& go straight along Mitchell Street for se eral bloc#s before reconnecting with ME& at Tatnall Street. The plans to disconnect ME& ha e been widely critici=ed by the community. The plan that the mayor presented on <riday would ha e ME& swer e li#e an /S0 bac# up to ME& ?ust west of Corthside Bri e. "t would re1uire ha ing to buy a portion of par#ing lot of !entral >nited Methodist !hurch. The mayor said that solution could pro ide /an acceptable le el of ser ice,0 and it could be a solution

that all of the parties could find consensus. %ut he said he had not run it by the Atlanta <alcons or the Georgia Bepartment of Transportation. Richard Mendo=a, the citys commissioner of public wor#s, said the proposal estimated that this alternati e would cost about H+.) million to ac1uire additional right of way, that there would ha e to be a barrier wall between +5 and )* feet high for public safety that the neighborhood might find it aesthetically unappealing. -e said the o erall additional cost of this option would be nearly HK.+ million. !ouncilmember Michael 8ulian %ond was concerned that the option still did not include a left turn lane from Corthside Bri e going north to ME& going west. Mendo=a said that would re1uire adding an additional lane along Corthside, which would re1uire additional right of way and cost to that option. !ouncilmember Lolanda Adrean than#ed the mayor for being responsi e to !ouncils re1uest. %ut Reed reminded !ouncil that se eral hurdles remained to get 2ption /S$!0 adopted. "t would re1uire appro al of both the <alcons and GB2T; it would re1uire successful negotiations with !entral >nited Methodist !hurch; it would re1uire figuring out how to co er the additional costs; and it would re1uire that all of the issues be resol ed within the pro?ects time schedule. %efore going forward with trying to answer those 1uestions, Reed said he needed to #now whether !ity !ouncil was on board with this option. Bic#ens said it was /definitely in line0 with what he had in mind. Atlanta !ity !ouncil 'resident !easar Mitchell as#ed that if the administration could de elop a couple of bac#$up plans in case one of the hurdles became a problem. That way !ouncil and the community would not be sta#ing all its hopes on a new realignment on ?ust this one plan. After re iewing a map of the possible new design, Spelman !ollege 'resident %e erly Tatum seemed pleased with what she saw. /" li#e this,0 she said. /This is much better.0

'aportaReport$ 03-24-14 Tra..i, relie.$ transit *p rades .*nded in ARC1s .i-e-year spendin plan %y Ba id 'endered A new plan due for initial adoption (ednesday by the AR! board shows the extent to which H:$plus billion can go toward impro ing metro Atlantas transportation networ#. 'lanners tal# up the will$do pro?ects contained in this fi e$year spending proposal, rather than lofty isions in the Atlanta Regional !ommissions long$ range transportation plan. The AR!s )*,* plan update is up for adoption, as well. This strategy of focusing on the fi e$year plan addresses some realpoliti#s3 Regional traffic is building after the recession, while transportation funding remains scarce; A ote to adopt a regional transportation plan will show AR!s board is not immobili=ed by disagreement o er who should be elected as a citi=en board member. The list of pro?ects to be started in +K counties within a few years includes3 !ongestion$easing lanes that will ta#e local traffic off "$)K5 and Ga. ,** near that cho#ed interchange; Bi erging diamond interchanges that are to hasten traffic through two clogged areas3 !amp !ree# 'ar#way at "$)K5; and (indy -ill Road at "$:5; 2perational funding for MARTA to increase the fre1uency of trains; /!omplete street0 retrofits that promote safe cycling and wal#ing in a number of busy road corridors. The AR!s plan is significant because federal highway spending pro isions gi e the AR!, as the regions metropolitan planning organi=ation, authority o er certain categories of funding. AR! planners wor# more closely than they ha e, in pre ious decades, with their counterparts in the state transportation arena. The AR! is slated to appro e a spending plan to impro e transportation in the +K counties shaded green and their incorporated cities. !redit3 AR! /This is a good plan,0 said Toby !arr, the states transportation planning director. /(ere getting the most out of our limited dollars. 2ur interstate expansion is really significant o er the next few years.0

!arr highlighted the plans macro purpose of achie ing the statewide transportation strategy that Go . Cathan Beal is pursuing. The statewide plan has three stated ob?ecti es3 Access by employers to /talent pools;0 home$to$wor# commutes that are reliably less than ,5 minutes each way; efficient and affordable freight mo ement. Ba id -aynes, an AR! senior principal planner, highlighted the H+.9 billion that will fund transit operations and maintenance. The sum represents +. percent of the H: billion$plus spending plan, which is almost as much as the +: percent set aside for building managed lanes. The earmar# for alternati e modes of transportation could well mar# the start of a networ# of pathways that could enable people to bicycle or wal# to wor#, rather than ser e mainly for recreational uses, -aynes said. Dxamples of spending for alternati e transportation are peppered throughout the document. A few examples include3 9 H,.. million for multimodal impro ements in the Georgetown area of Bunwoody; , H59.K million for the train6bus station in downtown Atlanta that goes by the name, Georgia Multimodal 'assenger Terminal @details were not pro idedA; 5 H+., million for the /complete streets0 retrofit of Martin Euther &ing 8r. Bri e, in Atlanta; . H,.K million for multimodal impro ements at the MARTA rail station in Dast 'oint; : H5 million for 'once de Eeon to get a /complete streets0 retrofit with connecti ity to the Atlanta %eltEine; K H9.: million for impro ements to the 'eachtree Road corridor in %uc#head, from Shadowlawn A enue to Maple Bri e. G After the AR! board adopts the two plans, which it is expected to do, the plans ad ance to the board that o ersees the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority. GRTA staffers ha e ad ised on the plans and GRTAs board has been briefed on progress. /(e are really seeing a new day in the way this has happened,0 GRTA board !hairman Sonny Beriso, 8r. said of the plans. /"ts been a long time coming and its refreshing to see.0 At the AR! meeting, the T"' and 'lan )*,* are the two ma?or items on the agenda.

The board agreed in <ebruary to put off until after the May board meeting another ote on electing a citi=en member. <or three consecuti e meetings, in Becember, 8anuary and <ebruary, the board could not muster the otes to select either Tad Eeithead, a former AR! chairman from east !obb !ounty, or Mic#ey McGuire, an urban planner from Bunwoody nominated by interim Be&alb !ounty !D2 Eee May. The imbroglio prompted AR! Dxecuti e Birector Boug -oo#er to obser e after the <ebruary stalemate3 /There are some fol#s who ha e called into 1uestion our ability to go ern oursel es. " might suggest that you table this for a few months and let this percolate. The seat will not be acant. Tad will still be ser ing in that seat.0

4orsyt% News$ 03-23-14 Transportation (*st )e priority at state le-el %y <!C Dditorial %oard
The traditional declaration of /sine die0 brought the )*+, session of the Georgia General Assembly to a close Thursday, ending one of the 1uic#est and most efficient legislati e gatherings in recent memory. "t remains to be seen how many of the bills winning appro al in the both legislati e chambers during the sessions ,* wor#ing days ultimately will be signed into law by the go ernor, and only time will tell what the ultimate impact is on each of those that does earn the signature of the states top executi e. As always, there were plenty of di erse issues discussed and debated, from Medicare to medical mari?uana, income tax limits to constitutional con entions. %ut all in all it was a wor#man li#e session without much of the distracting rhetoric and contro ersy of other years. (hich is a good thing. (hile the ultimate impact of this session wont be #nown for years to come, there was one bit of low$profile business conducted under the radar that we hope will ha e positi e ramifications in the near future. -ouse Resolution +5:9, sponsored by Rep. 8ay Roberts of 2cilla and Sen. Ste e Gooch of Bah$lonega, will create a 8oint Study !ommittee on !ritical Transportation "nfrastructure <unding. (e #now that yet another committee to conduct yet another study isnt going to immediately sol e any problems on any front, but it is encouraging to see attention focused on what continues to be one of the states most desperate needs. (hen state officials were pushing Georgians to support an ill$fated regional based transportation sales tax not so long ago, they infamously said on more than one occasion the tax had to pass because there was /no 'lan %.0 And when the plan failed in most of Georgia, most notably the metro Atlanta area, it became ob ious there really was no 'lan % upon which the state could rely. The introductory comments of -R +5:9 captures concisely some of the critical issue in the states transportation debate3 4 Georgia is home to the worlds busiest airport, fastest growing seaport, ninth largest transit system, third largest freight rail networ# in the >.S. and ..5 million dri ers who tra el +*K.5 billion miles each year. 4 The federal go ernment has demonstrated an increasing inability to deli er a

consistent, predictable transportation funding en ironment. 4 Georgias growth rate is twice the national a erage. 4 Georgias transportation in estment per capita is less than most of her regional neighbors 4 Traffic congestion in Georgia is pro?ected to increase by )5 percent in the next se en years. 4 Georgias transportation leadership has predicted that current funding le els can, at best, co er 5* percent of our greatest needs. 4 Cew sources and methods of funding transportation pro?ects are needed to allow the transportation system in Georgia to #eep up with the needs of the population. The newly formed committees tas# is to study transportation needs and funding options o er the course of the next eight months, ma#e recommendation by Co . 9* and disband. (e can only hope that this particular committee encounters success in achie ing its mission. (e are far behind where we need to be in planning for the future, and desperately in need of ideas for funding infrastructure pro?ects.

'aportaReport: T%o* %t 2eaders%ip$ 03-24-14 Re ion to "n-est Nearly 560 7illion in Re ional Transportation 'yste( %y Boug -oo#er The efficient mo ement of people and freight is critical to metro Atlantas economy. And, the Atlanta Regional !ommission @AR!A board will ote on the long$term 82AN 2040 Re ional Transportation 8lan 9RT8: at its board meeting (ednesday, March ).. This plan includes inno ati e pro?ects to help address some of our most congested locations and to pro ide more alternati es to help people get around the region. The RT' includes H5G billion to fund the regions transportation priorities through the year )*,*. (hile that is a lot of money, more than :* percent of that goes to maintain the existing networ#, lea ing us only about H+K billion for new pro?ects. That too sounds li#e a lot. -owe er, it doesnt come close to meeting the regions current needs, coupled with the fact that we expect to add almost three million more residents between now and )*,*. That means we ha e to use these funds wisely and efficiently. <ortunately, AR! and our planning partners F Georgia B2T, GRTA, MARTA and local ?urisdictions 7 ha e identified a list of pro?ects that focus on two primary goals3

Relie ing the regions worst traffic bottlenec#s, and 'ro iding residents with more tra el options that will allow them to get out of their cars and off the congested roadways.

2n the regions roads, the plan includes two new di erging diamond interchanges at "$:5 and (indy -ill Road in !obb !ounty and at "$)K5 and !amp !ree# 'ar#way near -artsfield$8ac#son airport. Bi erging diamonds ease access to and from the interstates at a fraction of the cost of rebuilding an interchange. %oth of these will pro ide easier access to and from ma?or ?ob centers. The RT' ma#es substantial in estments in the Georgia B2Ts managed lanes program to help with the extension of existing toll lanes along the "$K5 corridor and the construction of new toll lanes along "$:5 to the south and "$:56"$5:5 to the north. These will be new lanes, not the con ersion of existing lanes.

Bri ers on smaller highways will see impro ements as well. <or example, stoplights along -ighway 9+. in Gwinnett and %arrow counties are being replaced with o erpasses and ramps that wont slow through traffic. The installation of se eral /intelligent transportation systems0 around the region will also impro e traffic flow by automatically ad?usting the timing of signals along ma?or corridors. To ensure more tra el options, the RT' pro ides limited funding of operations for the Atlanta Streetcar and of MARTA to reduce wait times at train stations during rush hour. %oth of these commitments will ma#e it easier for people to choose public transportation as an efficient and reliable commute alternati e. <unding for additional bi#e and pedestrian facilities will ma#e things safer for the people who use them. 2 er time, the regions ma?or trails will be inter$connected to create a regional networ# for recreation and for commuting. 'erhaps the best news in this plan update is that many of these pro?ects are almost ready for construction or installation. "mpro ements on -ighway 9+. are already underway, and ground will be bro#en on toll lanes and di erging diamonds within the next fi e years. And of course, funding for enhanced public transportation will ta#e effect almost immediately, with MARTAs reduced wait times and the Streetcars operations both scheduled to begin this summer. (hen its all said and done, 'EAC )*,* protects pre ious in estments in the existing system, adds infrastructure where it can ha e the most impact, ma#es strategic use of the regions limited financial resources and 1uic#ly deli ers on its commitments.

National ! "nternational Transit/Transportation National #o*rnal$ 03-24-14 2a;ood 8redi,ts '%ort-Ter( <&tension o. Transportation 2aw %y <awn 8ohnson The transportation industry is growing anxious o er the highway trust fund McliffM that could hit as early as 8uly. The fund is slowly running out of money, and if its coffers get too low, road and transit pro?ects will be stalled. !ongress is running out of time to draft and debate a full$blown surface transportation measure. They ha e to do something by Sept. 9*, when the current law, MA'$)+, expires. "f they donNt, the money stops cold, assuming there is any left to spend. (hatNs going to happenI -ere is former Transportation Secretary Ray Ea-oodNs prophecy3 M(hen September 9* comes and the highway trust fund is bro#eFitNll e en be bro#e before the 9*th, but OdefinitelyP by the end of the fiscal year, itNll be bro#eFtheyNll pass an extension of MA'$)+,M he said in an inter iew for an upcoming Cational 8ournal QRA. MTheyNll ta#e some money out of the general fund. TheyNll limp through the election, and then " donNt #now what will happen after that.M This seems a prescient predication for anyone who watched the gymnastics that the transportation chiefs on !apitol -ill performed in )*+) to pass the two$year MA'$)+. Ea-ood was in the thic# of it. %oth he and the lawma#ers #new then that they would be called upon to perform irtually the same feat again, before they reco ered from their first effort. And they #new the tight budget situation would be no different. The cycle continues until someone blin#s. Ea-ood stepped down last year after four and a half years as 'resident 2bamaNs transportation secretary. -e had a long career as a moderate Republican in the -ouse before that. -e says that policyma#ers, specifically Republicans, will ne er reco er from the downward spiral of transportation funding if they donNt accept that infrastructure in estment is a good thing. Spending money on it is not a sin. -e #nows that there are li#e$minded members of the G2' who want to in est in infrastructure, but they donNt ha e the loudest oice in !ongress. Ea-ood wishes that would change. MRepublicans who pro ide the leadership are people that ha e a ision, are people that recogni=e that if America is going to get bac# economically, be strong with economic de elopment, youN e got to ha e good infrastructure,M he said. This isnNt a new idea at all. MA lame$duc# !ongress passed a six$year transportation bill and passed an increase in the gas tax, and O'residentP Reagan

signed it. Reagan was a go ernor from !alifornia. -e #new the importance of infrastructure. -e #new the importance of ha ing money to put things in a state of good repair,M Ea-ood said. Ea-ood, li#e me, has a hard time en isioning how the !ongress of today can get to the place where it was in +GK), when Reagan o ercame a Republican filibuster to raise the gas tax. 2r in +GG5 when then$-ouse Transportation !ommittee !hairman %ud Shuster, R$'a., fought to hang on to highway trust fund surpluses. "tNs getting there, albeit slowly. Eawma#ers are well aware of the dwindling highway trust fund, and they are attempting to return to the #ind of basic legislating on infrastructure that occurred before the debt ceiling and go ernment shutdown crises drowned out e erything else. %ut itNs probably not going to happen this year. <or our insiders3 "s Ea-oodNs prediction accurateI 2r can !ongress find a way to e#e out a more robust surface transportation billI (hat would a short$term extension of MA'$)+ accomplishI -ow would it impact state transportation departmentsI (hat are the best options for funding the measureI (hat is the best case scenario before Sept. 9*I The worstI

T%e ;ill$ 03-24-14 NT'7 in-esti atin train derail(ent at C%i,a o airport %y &eith Eang The Cational Transportation Safety %oard is in estigating a subway train derailment at !hicagoNs 2N-are "nternational Airport, the agency said on Monday. A train on the !hicago MEM transit systemNs %lue Eine derailed early Monday morning at its station at 2N-are airport, which is the second busiest airport in the >.S. The CTS% said Monday that it was launching an in estigation of the incident. MCTS% launches to !hicago; a !TA train at 2-are "nternational Airport rail terminal ran through the bumper at the end of the trac#,M the accident in estigation agency tweeted. The !hicago Transit Authority @!TAA said the incident occurred in the early hours of Monday morning. M%lue Eine ser ice has been temporarily suspended between 2N-are and Rosemont due to a derailment at 2N-are,M the agency said in a ser-i,e delay alert3 MAs a result, trains are operating between Rosemont and <orest 'ar# @ ia downtownA, only, at this time,M the ser ice alert continued. M%us shuttle ser ice is a ailable to pro ide connecting ser ice through the affected area between 2N-are and Rosemont.M The !hicago NEN subway is the third busiest public transit system in the >.S. with an a erage of wee#day ridership of :9,,G**, according to the American 'ublic Transportation Association @A'TAA. The !hicago subway is only surpassed by the Cew Lor# !ity subway and (ashington, B.!.Ns Metrorail in >.S. transit ridership. The nic#name NEN is a reference to most of the !hicago transit systemNs downtown trac#s being ele ated, but the station at 2N-are is located underground. The train that derailed ended up on an escalator leading up to the airport, according to a report in the Chicago Trib ne. More than thirty passengers who were on board the train were in?ured when it left the trac#s.