US House GOP gets it: More roads... less transit.

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It never ceases to amaze me hope many billions the left wastes on transportation projects that are obsolete (loot rail) and incredibly expensive (loot rail) while wanting to waste billions on local bridge beautification programs that would result in tens of thousands of families here locally getting hammered for a project we don't need, want, or can afford.

Well, it seems that the folks in the US House have figured that out:

Seattle Transportation Watch

« Wash. drivers spent less time stuck in traffic in '09

More bad news for transit funding

In his first State of the City speech back in February, Seattle's transit-friendly Mayor Mike McGinn proclaimed the era of the big highway was over.

He may have spoken too soon.

That's because the Republicans who now hold power in the U.S. House of Representatives reportedly want to bring federal transportation spending "back to its roots in the 1950s -- interstate commerce and travel, with a strong focus on the National Highway System," according this recent post from Streetsblog Capitol Hill.

Streetsblog reports that incoming Transportation Committee Chair John Mica, R-Fla., wants spending cuts to stabilize the Highway Trust Fund, which spends more money than it takes in because gas tax revenues are down. Congress keeps temporarily propping it up because lawmakers are unable to agree on a new source of revenue, such as a gas tax increase (the gas tax hasn't been increased since
1993, and it doesn't buy what it used to, especially with more fuel-efficient vehicles and a down economy).

According to the blog, it appears most likely that Mica will target federal spending on transit. The blog says the info comes from sources who were at a
luncheon with highway executives and Jim Tymon, a Republican staff director of
the House highways and transit subcommittee.

Tymon suggested to the Road Gang that the current $8 billion allocated for transit annually could shrink to $5 billion. The Road Gang was, apparently, relieved to see that transit would bear the brunt of the burden of spending cuts.

Meanwhile, Tymon said the Republicans want to bring transportation spending back to its roots in the 1950s – interstate commerce and travel, with a strong focus on the National Highway System. It all adds up to a possible revision of the longstanding 80/20 ratio governing highway and transit spending, with transit losing ground. Tymon confirmed that a new calculus could be coming.

As if transit agencies weren't already in bad shape. Sound Transit projects a $3.9 billion shortfall through 2023. King County Metro Transit, which is heavily dependent on volatile sales tax revenue, faces having to cut another 600,000 in
bus service hours by 2015. Struggling transit agencies plan to ask the state Legislature for some help, such as new mechanism to raise money for transit

On the plus side, this has the appearance of making it even more difficult to get money for loot rail over the unwanted, unneeded and far too expensive I-5 Bridge project.

Of course, the clueless idiot "representing" us has the support of the local democratian, which likely means that she's told that idiot running the show that she'll do what she can to fund that steaming crap pile... all, of course, without telling us.

After all, we wouldn't want the electorate to make an inform ed decision about voting, would we?
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