House Committee to Hold Field Hearings, Forums on Surface Transportation Bills
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has announced the locations for a series of national field hearings and public forums on pending major surface transportation legislation.
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Meetings Will Help Committee Draft Long-Term Reauthorization
According to the Committee, these meetings with state and local officials and transportation stakeholders will help inform the Committee’s drafting of a long-term reauthorization of U.S. highway, transit, and highway safety programs. The legislation will help improve U.S. transportation infrastructure and promote job creation in the hard-hit construction industry.
Committee to Seek Input on How to Improve, Streamline Programs
The Committee will seek input on how to consolidate and improve the performance of programs, cut government red tape and streamline the project delivery process, increase private sector investment in infrastructure, identify creative financing alternatives, and other ideas for writing the legislation. The previous multi-year law (SAFETEA- LU) expired in September 2009 (but its programs have been extended through a series of short-term measures).
Meetings to be Held Feb 14-25 and Include Joint House-Senate Hearing in LA
Chairman Mica, Members of the Committee and other lawmakers will participate in the hearings and meetings, which will begin on February 14, 2011 in West Virginia. At least a dozen other sessions across numerous states are currently planned for February 17-25, including a joint House-Senate hearing in Los Angeles in cooperation with Senator Boxer, the Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.
(Further details regarding the meetings will be announced at a later date.)
The Committee will travel to the following communities to gather information for the transportation reauthorization bill: Beckley, West Virginia; Charleston, West Virginia; the Philadelphia Metropolitan area; Scranton, Pennsylvania; Rochester, New York; Columbus, Ohio; Indianapolis, Indiana; the Chicago Metropolitan area; Vancouver, Washington; Fresno, California; Los Angeles; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Jonesboro, Arkansas; the Memphis Metropolitan area.
(See ITT’s Online Archives or 01/06/11 news, 11010622, for BP summary of the most recent extension of surface transportation programs.)