Federal Funding Debate on Horizon

摘要

The outcome of the November elections remains anyone's guess, but a bigger uncertainty for the transportation industry looms in 2009 when Congress is expected to begin work on the successor to the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU). Memories of SAFETEA-LU's contentious two-year debate and controversial earmarks are still fresh in the minds of industry leaders. And with the added pressures of high fuel costs and funding mechanism disparities, there is little optimism that the upcoming round will be any better. "We're in for a rough ride," predicts AI Bast, senior vice president in URS Corp.'s New York office. "There will have to be a dramatic policy shift in the way infrastructure is financed."