Robert Menendez

Menendez Hails Senate Passage of Bipartisan Transportation Bill

As chair of transit subcommittee, Senator key in drafting bill

March 14, 2012

Washington – U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) today applauded passage of “Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21),” which will create or protect more than 2 million jobs and provide essential transportation investments for the nation, including $519 million per year for New Jersey’s public transportation and $1 billion per year for New Jersey’s road system. As Chairman of the Banking Subcommittee on Transportation, responsible for transit issues, Menendez ensured that the bill included historic transit formula funding for New Jersey.

“I have worked for over two years across party lines to help craft a bill that will invest in our infrastructure and improve public transportation for New Jersey families and commuters,” said Menendez.  “This bill provides our state more federal formula transit funding than ever before, which will mean a more reliable and safer transportation system.  It will also allow New Jersey’s employers to continue to attract world class talent from around the region and cost-effectively transport goods to market.”

If passed by the House, New Jersey would receive more federal formula transit funding per year than ever before - without increased overall federal spending.  By cutting waste and eliminating earmarks, the bill will provide New Jersey $519 million in federal transit funding, an increase of over $63 million per year. 

The bill reauthorizes the nation's transportation programs for two years, reforms the programs to make them more efficient and secures current levels of funding.  These investments are critical to our nations recovery at a time when 70,000 of our bridges are structurally deficient, more than one million construction workers are out of work, and thousands of American businesses continue to struggle.   In New Jersey, according to a report by the Tri-State Transportation Campaign, more than 200 major bridges are structurally deficient. 

The legislation also includes a retroactive extension of the mass transit commuter tax benefit. This provision will provide up to $240 per-month in tax relief for riders commuting to work.  The transit benefit, which expired at the end of 2011, is enormously important for thousands of New Jersey commuters and their employers.

“In 2009 Congress raised the tax-free benefit that workers could apply toward monthly commuting costs, from $120 per month up to $230 per month, putting transit benefits on par with parking benefits,” said Menendez.  “This important benefit eases the burden of commuting costs on our families, relieves congestion, reduces the stress on our highway system and decreases our reliance on foreign oil.”

Menendez also applauded the inclusion of a number of provisions he championed including:

• A New $20 Million Transit Oriented Development Planning Program.  The $20 million program will help communities create more livable communities by planning new development around new transit hubs.  The provision is based on similar language in Senator Menendez’s Livable Communities Act, and in New Jersey would work in tandem with the state’s Transit Village program.
• Increased Funding for the National Transit Institute at Rutgers (NTI) [$5million]. NTI provides training, education, and clearinghouse services in support of public transportation and quality of life for the entire nation.  In recent years this important national program has seen its funding slashed, despite the increased need for training in the face of an ongoing wave of retirements in the industry. This bill will raise NTI’s funding to $5 million per year from $3.8 million.
• Increased Clean Fuels Program Funding [From $51.5M to $65M].  This competitive program for clean fuel transit vehicles and for refueling infrastructure will help agencies switch from dirty, expensive fuels, to cleaner, cheaper fuels.  This will help improve air quality and allow transit agencies to untether themselves from volatile oil prices. 
• Increased Funding for Transportation for Seniors and the Disabled [NJ Funding Goes From $6.5 M to $7.8 M]. With demand for senior transportation increasing, the bill is able to meet that demand with increased resources.
• Streamlined and Reformed “New Starts” Process. The bill streamlines the process for the federal approval of new projects and allows projects designed to increase capacity on existing systems rather than just allow new systems or new lines.  Older systems such as New Jersey’s that are at capacity could, for instance, use the program to add a new station or add another track.
• The Sustainable Water Infrastructure Act. This bill is designed to create private sector jobs rebuilding our nation’s crumbling water infrastructure by removing issuances of private activity bonds for water and wastewater projects from the annual volume caps – making these projects more affordable.  The Senator’s provision will allow local communities to leverage private capital markets in combination with other financial mechanisms to finance water and wastewater infrastructure projects. 
  

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