FEDERAL TRANSPORTATION FUNDING UTILIZED BY COUNTIES FUNDING TRANSPORTATION INTO THE FUTURE

WHAT DO COUNTIES OWN??? ROAD MILES  18% OF TOTAL SYSTEM BRIDGES  22% OF STATEWIDE STRUCTURES STRUCTURALLY DEFICIENT BRIDGES  7% OF THE WORST BRIDGES

CONDITION OF SYSTEM CONDITION IS NOT IMPROVING  ROADS ARE DETERIORATING AT A PACE WE CAN NOT KEEP UP WITH  BRIDGES ARE AGING  TRAFFIC VOLUME AND WEIGHT INCREASES

FUNDING FUNDING IS INADEQUATE  FROM THE FEDERAL LEVEL  LACK OF INTESTINAL FORTITUDE TO STEP UP NO ONE WANT TO BE THE ONE TO SAY THE “T” WORD

RECENT HISTORY OF FEDERAL TRANSPORTATION BILLS TEA 21  SIGNED INTO LAW JUNE 1998  10 EXTENSIONS SAFETY LU  SIGNED INTO LAW AUGUST OF 2005  11 EXTENSIONS MAP 21  SIGNED INTO LAW JULY 2012  3 EXTENSIONS, 4 TH ON HORIZON

WHY IS FEDERAL SURFACE TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM IMPORTANT TO COUNTIES? IT’S A FUNDING SOURCE! SURFACE TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM  STP-URBAN  STP-RURAL  LOCAL BRIDGE IMPROVEMENT ASSISTANCE

STP-URBAN Allocates federal funds to complete a variety of improvements to federal-aid-eligible roads, streets and other projects in urban areas.  Projects lie within Urban Area boundary  Road must be classified as Collector or higher  PROVIDES ABOUT $61.5 MILLION ANNUALLY

STP-RURAL Allocates federal funds to complete a variety of improvements to rural highways (primarily county highways).  Objective of STP-R is to improve federal aid eligible highways outside of urban areas. Projects must meet federal and state requirements. Communities are eligible for funding on roads classified as major collectors or higher.  PROVIDES ABOUT $26.6 MILLION ANNUALLY

Local Bridge Improvement Assistance Allocates funds to help rehabilitate and replace, on a cost-shared basis, the most seriously deficient existing local bridges on Wisconsin's local highway systems.  Counties, cities, villages, and towns are eligible for rehabilitation funding on bridges with sufficiency ratings of 80 or less, and replacement funding on bridges with sufficiency ratings less than 50.  Over 1300 local bridges are currently eligible for funding  PROVIDES ABOUT $39.5 MILLION ANNUALLY

WHAT IS HAPPEING IN DC???? Congress is back in session  MAP-21 extension expires October 29 th Senate passed 6 year Surface Transportation Bill in July House is drafting their own version  Intend to conference with Senate in the “Fall”

WHAT DO WE NEED?? Surface Transportation Bill that is:  Long term  Sustainable  Sooner the better USDOT Secretary Anthony Foxx indicates the Highway Trust Fund is solvent until next summer

WHAT CAN WE DO??? NACo and NACE continue to monitor developments  Updates are provide to each county’s Highway Commissioner Voice your concerns to elected representatives in DC.  Need for a long term, funded, sustainable Surface Transportation Program to keep our country competitive on the global market.

Questions? Mark Servi Barron County Highway Commissioner  WCHA Past President  NACE Past President  Member, NACo Transportation Steering Committee 