Posted on 05/13/2015 10:46:59 AM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
EVERY day, millions of Americans rely on a remarkable network of roads, bridges, subways, trains and buses to connect us to work, school and opportunity. But our transportation system, once the envy of the world, is in jeopardy.
In New York City, subways and buses are overcrowded and often unreliable, and roadways and bridges are in dire need of repair and rehabilitation. From the next phase of the Second Avenue subway to plans to connect the Metro-North Railroad to Pennsylvania Station, to the proposed new subway line under Utica Avenue in Brooklyn, there isnt a short- or long-term expansion project that isnt dependent on federal funding.
In Oklahoma City, highway bridges are failing, city and state roads are unable to keep up with the regions growth, and the bus system struggles to meet demands. Just last week in Oklahoma City, the state Transportation Commission declared an emergency after learning that more than half of the piers supporting a heavily trafficked bridge on an Interstate had been damaged by salt and weather.
The federal government sets transit and highway policies and funding levels for the country through the surface transportation authorization laws, generally in six-year cycles. But since 2009, Congress has funded transportation through a dozen short-term measures, ranging from one week to two years. On May 31, the current transportation authorization bill the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act of 2012, or MAP-21 is set to expire. Shortly thereafter, the Highway Trust Fund, which invests about $50 billion annually, will run out of money to cover the federal share of urgently needed roadway, bridge and transit projects in cities and states across the country.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Force the public union into 401ks and have them pay for some of their health care...
The trillions that are freed up will be more than enough to fix the infrastructure.
Without reforms to public unions - it is all a rat hole and no amount of money will fix the infrastructure or schools.
Why government, let free enterprise develop the solution. That would actually work!!!
I’m in favor of personal transportation from walking through skateboards and bicycles and then motorcycles, cars, SUVs and Motor-homes.
“Comrades! Communism will bring us prosperity and freedom! Just give us all of your wealth and property.”
I recall reviewing the renovation of a university campus building. The tour guide commented on how hard it was to get money for the project: “everybody wants to pay for a new building, nobody wants to put money into an old one.”
Same thing with national infrastructure. Building roads/bridges/rails/etc is exciting and is easily funded. Once up, nobody wants to forego more such projects in favor of maintaining what’s in place and aging.
Or, excise it and declare it a foreign country, hostile to the USA.
I thought Congress gave states money for road management and repairs?
I thought many states in turn took their road money and spent it on welfare crappola instead???
Authorities: Group Of Teen Subway Vandals Could Pose Serious Threat To Straphanger Safety (NYC)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3289262/posts
New York has been moving.
To Florida. One person at a time. For decades.
Wrong......
In Tennessee the public bridges are regularly inspected and when needed, repairs or replacements are accomplished. Interstate highways are regularly repaved in ten to 15 mile segments on a regular schedule.
There is a problem with some Portland cement concrete roadways with heavily deteriorating expansion joints.
Our politicians have not robbed the road maintenance funds for other purposes.
I would be happy to move everyone in each of our ten largest cities to Kabul, Afghanistan. It would solve a lot of our problems and the Afghanis would likely not even notice the thugs we placed among them.
The private sector certainly has a role to play in transportation. Most mass transit systems used to be private.
Mental image of Snake Plissken.
......and devolves most transportation responsibilities back to the states.
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ALL FOR THAT ,, I am more than tired of having crybaby states like NY take all of my gas tax money for their stinking subways that they can’t even be bothered to maintain. There is no reason to take my money , send it to DC and return it to me minus the haircut... If NYC and California want their trains let them pay for it. Too bad Biden wasn’t on the NY==>DC train.
“Give more money to my union buddies!!”
bump that!
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