FEDERAL ROLE IN PROGRAMMING

Although federal programs, policy and regulations have distorted the competitive balance among modes, changes are foreseen. Regulatory reform will allow inherent competitive advantage to operate more fully and to allow intelligent trade-offs in the economic sphere. Another major federal policy change focusses on user-charge policy. Woven with the user-charge issue and an important part of programming are trust funds, earmarked financing, and long-term financing. The Department of Transportation has several basic permises that will serve to strengthen local transportation planning and programming. These include more flexibility in the use of funds, a broader range of modal choices with federal transportation assistance, and the use of multiyear contract authority. The need is expressed for the analysis of transportation investment in a way that openly recognizes the community development impact. Comment is made on the argument concerning the need to cross subsidize the unprofitable low-density lines with high-density lines. Without effective legislative cooperation, the new budget control act could restrict long-term programming to transit funds. To resolve this problem, either the act must be amended or an alternate system must be developed that allows for budget review and yet facilitates needed 2- or 3-year delivery systems. Transportation policy must not be dictated by a provision that hinders long-term programming authority unless there is a trust fund. With reference to the provisions of the 1973 highway act (especially the transfer of Interstate Highway funds), there must be some recognition of the special programming, timing and excution problems of the transfer provisions because conventional programming processes for the Interstate Highway System program does not accommodate the needs.

• Record URL:
  • http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/sr/sr157/sr157-002.pdf
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/0360859X
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. Proceedings of a conference held March 23-26, 1975 at Orlando, Florida. See individual sections, HRIS #127487 - #127495.
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Lutz, Theodore C
• Conference:
  • Conference on Transportation Programming Process
  • Location: Orlando Florida, United States
  • Date: 1975-3-23 to 1975-3-26
• Publication Date: 1975

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Pagination: pp 25-27
• Monograph Title: TRANSPORTATION PROGRAMMING PROCESS
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Board Special Report
  • Issue Number: 157
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0360-859X

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alternatives analysis; Computer programming; Federal aid; Federal government; Finance; Mode choice; Regulations; Social values; Subsidies; Transportation; Transportation operations; Transportation planning; Transportation policy; User charges
• Identifier Terms: Highway Trust Fund; Interstate Highway System
• Uncontrolled Terms: Change; Programming
• Geographic Terms: United States
• Old TRIS Terms: Community values; Modal selection; Transportation administration
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Finance; Law; Planning and Forecasting; Transportation (General);

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00127488
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Mar 10 1982 12:00AM