Senator James Jeffords of Vermont, chair of the U.S. Senate's Environment and Public Works Committee, announced he would convene hearings - perhaps beginning in January - on successor legislation to the Transportation Equity Act, or TEA-21. 

TEA-21 became law in 1998 and expires in September, 2003. It succeeded 1991's Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), which emphasizing flexibility across transportation modes in giving federal transporation aid to states. 

Jeffords may be acting early because TEA-21 emerged only after a nearly two year battle between different groups of states over how federal transportation spending would be divided. If the economy and tax receipts are weak when new legislation is needed, satisfying states and various transportation industry and policy interests could be very difficult.

Jeffords delivered his statement at a Washington event organized by the Surface Transportation Policy Project (STPP) to mark ISTEA's 10th anniversary. The event honored former NY Senator Daniel Moynihan and featured remarks by U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta, NY Senator Hillary Clinton, New Orleans Mayor Marc Morial and others.

At the event, STPP released a new book, 10 Years of Progress, that spotlights transportation policy advances and innovative projects since the passage of ISTEA. Examples cited from our region include congestion pricing systems established by the NJ Turnpike and Port Authority of NY/NJ, the "sustainable development" land use/transportation strategies" being implemented by NY agencies working directly with municipalities, and New Jersey's use of state funds to complement federal spending for bicycle and pedestrian projects. 10 Years of Progress and information on reauthorizing TEA-21 is available on the internet at www.transact.org.

The New Transportation Charter
(Dec. 3, 2001)

Two-year ISTEA-2 Fight to End Next Week (June 5, 1998)

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