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Fixing America’s Surface Transportation - (FAST Act) Implementation

This report summarizes the decisions made by the Transportation Commission regarding the implementation of the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, including the use of additional funding for highway-railway grade crossing programs, the utilization of freight funding, and the distribution of Surface Transportation Block Grant Program funding.

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Fixing America’s Surface Transportation - (FAST Act) Implementation

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  1. Fixing America’s Surface Transportation - (FAST Act) Implementation Transportation Commission Workshop July 12, 2016

  2. Executive Summary • Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act • Signed into law Dec 4, 2015 • Five years (FFY 2016-2020) • $305 billion total • $228.8 billion for highway and highway safety • A few new programs added • Some minor adjustments to others • Streamlining and flexibility efforts continued

  3. Highway Apportionments for Iowa 2015-2020 Increase = 14.7 percent

  4. Highway Program Funding

  5. Commission Decisions • Use of additional FFY 2016 highway-railway grade crossing program funding • Use of freight funding • Use of Highway Safety Improvement Program funding • Distribution of Surface Transportation Block Grant Program funding • Use of Surface Transportation Block Grant Program Set-aside funding (formerly Transportation Alternatives Program) • Use of Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality program funding

  6. Stakeholder Input • Meeting with MPO/RPA/City/County representatives in March • Commission public input meetings – April and June • Individual meetings – Commissioners and department • Email solicitation for input

  7. Commission Decisions - Use of additional FFY 2016 highway-railway grade crossing program funding • Discussed at June workshop • Utilize additional funding for more highway-railway grade crossing safety projects. • Funding recommendation presented today with action recommended for the August business meeting

  8. Commission Decisions - Use of freight funding • New National Highway Freight Program • Apportioned funds • Iowa: 1.26 percent • FY 2016: $14.4 million • FY 2017: $13.7 million • FY 2018: $15.0 million • FY 2019: $16.9 million • FY 2020: $18.7 million • Funds are for infrastructure and operational improvements that facilitate freight movement on --- • any component of the National Highway Freight Network • Primary highway freight network – 550 miles in Iowa • Critical rural freight corridors -- can add up to 150 miles in Iowa • Critical urban freight corridors – can add up to 75 miles in Iowa • Remaining portions of the Interstate System

  9. Commission Decisions - Use of freight funding • Allows a wide range of eligible Projects (23 items) • Planning, development and other preconstruction activities • Construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation and operational improvements directly related to system performance • ITS and use of other technology to improve flow of freight and truck freight efficiencies • Environmental mitigation • Truck only lanes, climbing and runaway truck lanes • Adding capacity to address bottlenecks • And any other surface transportation project to improve the flow of freight into and out of freight rail or water facilities.

  10. Commission Decisions - Use of freight funding • A State may obligate no more than 10 percent of annual apportionment for freight intermodal or freight rail projects – • Within the boundaries of public or private freight rail or water facilities (including ports); and • That provide surface transportation infrastructure necessary to facilitate direct intermodal interchange, transfer, and access into or out of the facility. • Effective in two years, a State may not obligate funds apportioned for the NHFP unless the State has developed a State Freight Plan

  11. Commission Decisions - Use of freight funding • Input: • Most of the input received supported setting aside 10 percent for freight intermodal or freight rail projects. • Two counties were against utilizing the flexibility and recommended all of the funding go towards road projects.

  12. Commission Decisions - Use of Highway Safety Improvement Program funding • Iowa receives just over $20 million per year for Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) • With MAP-21, Commission set aside $2 million per year to support safety improvements on secondary roads. This was in response to MAP-21 elimination of the High Risk Rural Roads Program. • Continue to set-aside funding for HSIP – Secondary?

  13. Commission Decisions - Use of Highway Safety Improvement Program funding • Input: • General consensus to continue to set-aside $2 million per year for HSIP – Secondary Program

  14. Commission Decisions - Distribution of Surface Transportation Block Grant Program funding • Surface Transportation Program • Renamed the “Surface Transportation Block Grant Program” • Portion of funds allocated based on population gradually increases: • 2015 = 50 percent (MAP-21) • 2016 = 51 percent • 2017 = 52 percent • 2018 = 53 percent • 2019 = 54 percent • 2020 = 55 percent

  15. Commission Decisions - Distribution of Surface Transportation Block Grant Program funding • Input: • General consensus supportive of current STBG allocation process with a separate allocation for bridge funding. • General consensus for equal growth of bridge funding and the STBG funding targeted to MPOs and RPAs.

  16. Commission Decisions - Use of Surface Transportation Block Grant Program Set-aside funding (formerly Transportation Alternatives Program) Transportation Alternatives Program $10,574,270 Recreational Trails $1,374,817 50% Required Distribution by Population (must be used for TAP) $4,599,727 50% Available to Any Area of the State $4,599,726 Distributed By Population (can be used for any eligible activity e.g. highway, bridge, TAP, transit, etc.) $3,599,726 Discretionary for Statewide Awards $1,000,000 MPOs RPAs TMAs Note: TAP funded only with appropriated funds. Does not include a transfer from other programs to match historic levels. FY2012 Total = $13,537,443 This scenario = $5,599,727 assured plus additional TAP projects selected

  17. Commission Decisions - Use of Surface Transportation Block Grant Program Set-aside funding (formerly Transportation Alternatives Program) • Retain status quo TAP funding process? • Maintain $1,000,000 for statewide awards by Trans. Commission • Maintain remainder of funding for TMAs, MPOs and RPAs • Continue and/or modify the matching fund incentive for Byway Projects? • Safe Routes To School: • Establish a set-aside for Safe Routes to School projects? • Establish a matching fund incentive for Safe Routes to School projects? • Continue the Federal Recreational Trails program set-aside?

  18. Commission Decisions - Use of Surface Transportation Block Grant Program Set-aside funding (formerly Transportation Alternatives Program) • Input: • A SRTS set-aside was opposed by the 17 Councils of Governments represented by the Iowa Association of Regional Councils, some cities and counties and other various organizations. • Support for a SRTS set-aside program by the 49 organizations represented by the American Heart Association’s Healthier Iowa Coalition and their numerous petition signers; American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, Inc.; and American Diabetes Association. Program proposed to be funded by 18% of TAP annual allocation.

  19. Commission Decisions - Use of Surface Transportation Block Grant Program Set-aside funding (formerly Transportation Alternatives Program) - continued • Input: • Support from one organization for an additional $1,000,000 of statewide TAP funding. • Support from one organization for movement of $1,000,000 statewide TAP funding to MPOs/RPAs. • Support from one organization for SRTS funding derived from CMAQ and transit funding.

  20. Commission Decisions - Use of Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality program funding Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality $10,340,596 Bus Replacement Setaside $3,000,000 Iowa’s Clean Air Attainment Program (ICAAP) $4,000,000 Iowa DOT CMAQ Activities $3,340,596

  21. Commission Decisions - Use of Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality program funding • Input: • General consensus for status quo. • Support from one MPO and two RPAs for reducing ICAAP by $1,000,000 and increasing bus replacement by $1,000,000. • Support from one MPO for moving $500,000 to statewide TAP. • Support from one county to divert all funding for ICAAP and public transit vehicle replacements to city and county bridges.

  22. Guidance/Next Steps • Guidance • Comments regarding public input? • Any additional information? • Development of scenarios? • Next steps • August: Back with recommendations/additional information • September: Commission action on FAST Act implementation

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