01-22-18 City Council Agenda Packet

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ENHANCING TRANSPORTATION CONNECTIVITY FEDERAL PRIORITIES We urge the Oregon delegation to support: Real federal funding, not just financing through Pas, tax credits or private investment incentives, in a potential infrastructure package. Language that addresses the long-term solvency of the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) to ensure that federal surface transportation programs remain sustainable and robust. The continuation of the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) recommending new New Starts, Small Starts and Core Capacity projects out of the Capital Investment Grant (CIG) program. The preservation of the tax-exempt status of municipal bonds and private activity bonds as well as the preferential tax treatment of advanced refunding bonds interest. Prioritization of funding allocations to surface transportation projects. Greater transparency to U.S. DOT's INFRA decision- making process, so that applicants and interested stakeholders gain a better understanding of where the DOT is prioritizing these dollars and what makes a successful application. Funding critical regional projects such as Franklin Boulevard in Eugene and Springfield, Territorial Highway in Lane County, expansion of the EmX bus rapid transit network, improved active transportation connectivity through shared use paths and protected bikeways, seismic retrofits to area bridges, and replacement of the Randy Pape Beltline Bridge over the Willamette River. Making permanent the tax credit incentivizing short line railroads to invest private sector dollars on freight railroad track rehabilitation through passage of HR. 721 or S. 407, collectively termed the Building Rail Access for Customers and the Economy Act (BRACE Act). Ensuring adequate funding for the Federal Lands Access Program. This program is regularly utilized by Lane County and has resulted in a myriad of improvements to roadways which would otherwise fall into significant disrepair. Ensuring that the discretionary bus and bus facility program funds projects for systems and recipients that are good stewards of federal money and sufficiently leverage federal dollars. Ensuring that the New Start, Small Start, and Core Capacity rulemaking on interrelated projects is completed as soon as possible. Significant funding plus -ups for all federal surface transportation programs, specifically the New and Small Starts grant programs, which are vital to expansion of EmX and the Transportation Investments Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant program, which is a likely funding source for RiverDistricts improvements. Increases in the percentage of funding that is sub - allocated to local governments under programs like the Surface Transportation Block Grant Program (STBGP) Increase funding to the competitive bus and bus facility grant program to restore the $2.85 billion funding gap. The STP TAP set-aside program should be changed so that: 1.Total funding is significantly increased for the new STP TAP set-aside program and the Recreational Trails Program, since funding for all other modes of transportation in the FAST Act are increased at higher rates; 2. Local governments ensure that when they flex their TAP sub -allocation dollars for other STP - eligible projects that fall outside the "historical" TAP related project, which is allowed under the FAST Act, the local governments have adequate justification for doing so; 3. The inefficiencies in the regulatory process for approving STP set aside (TAP) projects are reduced.