Political Brakes Halt Transportation Progress

Don't expect any action in Congress this year on a major transportation bill. A sharply divided Congress is unlikely to approve a gas tax increase or any alternative, which leaves the legislation bogged down just like a motorist on a congested freeway.

Few argue there about the need to upgrade America's infrastructure, which the American Society for Civil Engineers grades out at a "D." Highway safety experts blame deteriorating or unimproved roads and bridges for half of the nation's car crashes.

Where the rubber doesn't meet the political road is how to pay for improvements.

Raising the federal gas tax is unpopular at a time when motorists are already squawking about the high price of gas at the pump. The Senate Finance Committee is rolling around some alternatives such as a fee on vehicle miles travelled, expansion of public-private partnerships and creation of a national infrastructure bank.

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The Best Jobs Bill is Stuck in Congress

A bill that would create more than a million jobs through infrastructure investment is stuck in Congress and will likely be delayed until at least 2011. The bill would jumpstart investment in the nation’s deteriorating infrastructure, relieve congestion, and provide the backbone for the nation’s global competition in the 21^st Century.

In Oregon and Washington, it could provide up to $400 million for the new Columbia River Crossing project and millions for Portland’s streetcar project and crumbling Sellwood Bridge. As the nation’s unemployment rate continues to hover around 9.5 percent, investment in infrastructure seems to be the best way to create jobs. There is only one problem – nobody wants to pay for it.

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