As everyone is aware, there have been many changes at the federal level, including a new President-Elect Donald J. Trump, a new California Senator Kamala Harris, and a new Congressman Jimmy Panetta. Congressman Panetta will be keeping on some of Congressman Farr’s staff, including his Legislative Director Debbie Merrill, and will also be hiring Kathleen Lee, longtime aide for Supervisor Potter. This continuity will help the Transportation Agency as Congressman Panetta takes office representing the 20th Congressional District. Agency staff will try to set up meetings with Senator Harris and Congressman Panetta in the early part of 2017 to brief them on the Agency’s federal legislative priorities.
Meanwhile, the incoming administration is proposing a 10-year, $1 trillion transportation funding package. The proposal includes federal tax credits to private investors who want to back transportation projects; supports Public-Private Partnerships and financing options; and cuts red tape. The overwhelming sticking point, as always, is how to pay for it.
President-Elect Trump has selected former Labor Secretary and former Department of Transportation deputy secretary Elaine Chao as his choice for Secretary of Transportation. Ms. Chao became the first Asian-American woman to serve in a Cabinet-level position when she headed the Department of Labor during the George W. Bush administration, becoming the only Cabinet member to serve for the entire eight years. As deputy secretary of transportation under then-Secretary Samuel Skinner in the President George H.W. Bush administration, Ms. Chao played a major role in developing a national transportation policy, an initiative that included assessing the national transportation system through 2050. During Skinner’s tenure, the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) was enacted, raising the fuel tax by 5 cents.Top Senate Democrats signaled that Ms. Chao may not face much of a fight to get confirmed, with incoming Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer congratulating her for her expected nomination and praising her for her "long history of service to our country." Ms. Chao is also married to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
Ms. Chao said her top three priorities are to exercise good stewardship, expedite repair and construction while decreasing regulatory burdens, and strive for equity among geographic areas and different modes. "A top priority for DOT is to maintain a culture of good stewardship on behalf of the American people," Ms. Chao stated. "This means effective enforcement of safety measures; getting the most benefit from the department's expenditures, including strengthening its planning and acquisition practices; and preparing for the future by considering new technologies in our infrastructure." The Senate Commerce Committee has scheduled Ms. Chao's confirmation hearing for Jan. 11.
Meanwhile, Congress punted on its fiscal year 2017 appropriations bills, instead passing a Continuing Resolution omnibus bill for all appropriations, extending the deadline to April 28, 2017. Unfortunately, since the CR is at FY 2016 funding levels, the increases authorized by the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act for FY 2017 will not yet be realized. The levels of appropriations funding previously proposed by the Senate and the House were significantly lower than the authorized levels in the FAST Act, yet represented a beginning in the investment by the federal government in state-supported intercity passenger services, which are not realized through the Continuing Resolution.
On September 9, 2016, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced the winners in the Bus and Bus Facilities competitive grant program, which included the following Monterey County projects:
- Monterey-Salinas Transit will receive $3,687,100 in federal funding for the replacement of buses which have met their useful life, and for a National Training Institute (NTI) workforce development training for workers to learn the new technology.
- The California Department of Transportation will receive $4,280,512 in federal funding to construct a new maintenance facility in the Monterey-Salinas area, which does not currently have one.