See you Monday!
Reminder: Transportation Choices Coalition meeting Monday
When: Monday June 22, noon-1:30
Where: CCDC, 121 N 9th St, 5th Floor conference room
What: Brownbag Transportation Coalition Meeting, we’ll have drinks, bring you own lunch.
Please RSVP if you get a chance so that we have a head count for room set-up.

Agenda:
State Issues
 

1. Review the legislative session
   1. HB 312 raised approximately $95 million for transportation, Where is the money coming from, what will it pay for?
2. Opportunities
   1. Push for Safe Routes to School funding, how does this impact your issues, how can you help?
   2. Better Road design
3. What they didn't do
   1. There was no bill introduced to allow Local Option Funding. What's next for transit funding?
4. What’s new with CTAI
   1. CTAI has reorganized as an advocacy organization, what does that mean? What happened to mobility management?

1. MAP-21 Reauthorization
   1. There was a short term extension, likely another one to the end of the year while a long-term bill is worked on. The hang-up no one wants to raise the funds.

Thank You!
12,000 people contacted their congressmen and women. H.R. 2609, the bill to eliminate the Transportation Alternatives Program didn’t make it into the transportation funding bill. Thank you if you were one of the folks who contacted congress, it made a difference. We’ll keep our eye on this issue and let you know if this pops back up.
 
Summary Idaho House Bill 312: 2015 Transportation Funding Package
~$95 million TOTAL
Motor Fuels Tax - ~$63 million dollar increase or 7¢ per gallon. All new money split between the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) (60%) and local roadway agencies (40%).
Registration Fee - ~$32 million, increase for all types of vehicles, additional fee on hybrids and electric cars. All new money split between the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) (60%) and local roadway agencies (40%).

Local agencies will receive approximately $37.6 million statewide per year in additional funding from these two sources of that, local agencies in Ada and Canyon Counties are projected to receive approximately $9.2 million per year.  ITD is expected to receive approximately $56.5 million statewide per year in additional funding from these two sources.

The additional funding can only be spent on maintenance of roads and bridges.
The additional funding cannot be used to expand or improve roads and bridges (e.g., add traffic lanes) nor can it be used for public transportation.

Surplus Eliminator – In addition to the $95 million ITD will receive half of any surplus monies collected by the state if there is a budget surplus at the end of the fiscal year. It is unknown at this point what the total amount will be, the estimates are in the $40-50 million range for this year. This provision sunsets in two years unless its renewed and the money is to be spent on “Strategic Initiatives” based on safety, mobility, economic opportunity, repair and maintenance of bridges and purchase of right-of-way.

There is still no dedicated funding for public transportation. This could be local option funding, it could be something else, or it could be a combination of funding sources. We can’t serve our growing population if we can’t provide adequate public transportation.
 

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