DOT would be restructured under Oberstar highway bill plan, report says
Rep. Jim Oberstar said that he has received positive feedback on his authorization proposals. (Associated Press)
The Trucker News Services
5/11/2009
ARLINGTON, Va. — The Department of Transportation would undergo major program restructuring under the next surface transportation authorization, according to a handwritten outline of the bill being circulated by House Transportation Chairman James Oberstar (D-Minn.) and obtained by BNA's Daily Report for Executives.
The two-page outline offers a glimpse of Oberstar's vision for what he has repeatedly called a "transformational" authorization proposal that is expected to be unveiled in late May or early June.
Without referring to the outline, Oberstar said that he has received positive feedback on his authorization proposals.
The Democratic caucus is "enthusiastic about the approach that I've taken in restructuring the programs," he told BNA.
A spokesperson for the DOT said today that Oberstar had been in contact with Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood about the Congressman's proposed plan.
“Chairman Oberstar has talked about bringing visionary change to the transportation program and Secretary LaHood looks forward to working with him to accomplish this goal,” the spokesperson told The Trucker.
Because Congress is scheduled to be in recess the last week of June, Oberstar said he would like a committee markup the first week of June, with floor consideration the following week.
Under the heading "the future of transportation," the framework seeks to create a new undersecretary or assistant secretary for intermodalism that would meet monthly with all modal administrators.
The outline includes the phrases "national strategic plan" and "mega-projects" in the list of agencies that would take part in the monthly meetings.
It also includes a consolidation of DOT's 108 programs into four "major formula programs": critical asset preservation, highway safety improvement, surface transportation program and congestion mitigation and air quality improvement.
The "surface transportation program" section suggests that metropolitan planning organizations receive suballocations based on population.
According to the document, Oberstar would like the DOT's management structure to shift "from prescriptive to performance."
He would call for DOT and states to design six-year targets for each of four performance categories and the framework would ask for annual reports to DOT and Congress as well as posting data online.
Oberstar's outline also addresses transit equity, including a hope to "level decision-making factors between highway and transit choices/projects."
The federal government pays for half of transit projects while it funds 80 percent of highway and bridge work, and transit advocates have been rallying for equal federal treatment.
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