NACo recently released an Action Alert requesting all counties to reach out to their members of Congress asking them to support county priorities in the next federal surface transportation bill. From the Action Alert:
The current federal surface transportation law, Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21), is set to expire at the end of September. MAP-21 made several changes to federal transportation programs that shifted funding away from the infrastructure owned by counties and other local governments. In fact, under MAP-21, the funding available for locally owned bridges and Federal-aid highways decreased by 30 percent.
As the owners of 45 percent of the nation’s roads and 39 percent of the nation’s bridges, it’s critical that counties urge Congress to repair this discrepancy and fix the cracks in funding for locally owned infrastructure.
While the total funding available for all locally owned bridges and Federal-aid highways was reduced by 30 percent, the amount of funding Maryland received was reduced by 41 percent. Maryland’s local governments owned 81 percent of the road miles, 43 percent of the bridges, and 73 percent of the structurally deficit bridges. Counties are encouraged to contact their Congressional members now to discuss the effects of funding reductions and request that county priorities be included in the next surface transportation bill.
Resources to assist you in reaching out to members of Congress can be found below.
Click here for County Priorities for MAP-21 Reauthorization.
Click here for additional background on MAP-21.
Click here for NACo’s research report on county funding and financing for transportation –
The Road Ahead.
For additional information, contact Jessica Monahan at 202.942.4217 or by email.
