Bicycle Austin forum

MichaelBluejay

Webmaster

From: Austin, TX

Registered: 2008-05-26

Posts: 1,466

Website

House Republicans vote to kill Safe Routes to School

Two House committees voted on Thursday and Friday to eliminate federal funding for a program that creates bicycle and pedestrian paths for children going to school and to cut off mass transit from its major source of federal funding, the gas tax.

The House's actions, propelled by GOP leadership, could politicize the previously staid issue of infrastructure investment and put Congress' chances of passing a new surface transportation bill this year in jeopardy.... The Safe Routes to School program cost about $202 million in its most recent year -- a drop in the bucket compared to the roughly $40 billion a year the federal government spent on highways.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/0 … 53346.html
http://saferoutes.server273.com/nationa … ainst-SRTS

chuckthomas

Member

From: North Austin (Rundberg)

Registered: 2008-05-27

Posts: 80

Re: House Republicans vote to kill Safe Routes to School

This isn't a federal function anyway.  It would be better to just keep the gas tax money here in Texas in the first place instead of sending it to Washington D.C. then having to grovel to get it back.  We could do the things that are important to us instead of looking to D.C. to set our priorities.

seth

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From: Austin, TX (Hyde Park)

Registered: 2008-05-27

Posts: 53

Website

Re: House Republicans vote to kill Safe Routes to School

It would be better to just keep the gas tax money here in Texas in the first place instead of sending it to Washington D.C. then having to grovel to get it back.  We could do the things that are important to us instead of looking to D.C. to set our priorities.

In Texas, that would mean the gas tax probably wouldn't be collected and then nothing would be done in order to create an environment attractive to business.

Seth

chuckthomas

Member

From: North Austin (Rundberg)

Registered: 2008-05-27

Posts: 80

Re: House Republicans vote to kill Safe Routes to School

In Texas, that would mean the gas tax probably wouldn't be collected and then nothing would be done in order to create an environment attractive to business.  Seth

Sounds like a better option than pay the tax plus not getting squat.

dougmc

Administrator

Registered: 2008-06-01

Posts: 631

Re: House Republicans vote to kill Safe Routes to School

Sounds like a better option than pay the tax plus not getting squat.

Are you saying that Texas receives no benefit from the federal gasoline taxes?   It certainly doesn't pay for all of the interstate highway system, but I seem to recall it paying for a significant chunk of it -- and Texas has  a lot of these roads.

We (Texas) do have our own gasoline tax.  Of course, it goes to the state highway system and schools -- not a penny goes to the city roads that most cyclists use.   So one might claim that they get "squat" from this tax too.  (Of course, if they're never a motorist, they also don't directly pay into it.)

chuckthomas

Member

From: North Austin (Rundberg)

Registered: 2008-05-27

Posts: 80

Re: House Republicans vote to kill Safe Routes to School

Are you saying that Texas receives no benefit from the federal gasoline taxes?

It seems that on the trip to D.C. and then back to Texas much of the gas tax money is diverted away to other states and to fund the pet projects of D.C. politicians in God knows where.  I think we'd be better off keeping that money here in Texas and not sending it to D.C.

dougmc

Administrator

Registered: 2008-06-01

Posts: 631

Re: House Republicans vote to kill Safe Routes to School

Are you saying that Texas receives no benefit from the federal gasoline taxes?

It seems that on the trip to D.C. and then back to Texas much of the gas tax money is diverted away to other states and to fund the pet projects of D.C. politicians in God knows where.  I think we'd be better off keeping that money here in Texas and not sending it to D.C.

As opposed to it staying here to fund the pet projects of Texas politicians?

It's a bit late to secede.  Perhaps we just need to get some more politicians from Texas into office in D.C.  Maybe Perry could change his mind?

And while it's a not an apples to apples comparison, back in 2005 (the most recent data I see) -- Texas received $0.94 back for each $1.00 paid in Federal taxes.  Not quite getting every penny back -- but pretty close.

Also, it looks like the Federal Highway Trust Fund -- where the Federal gasoline tax goes -- doesn't seem to really fund pet projects.  Instead, it funds road construction, mass transit and the leaking underground trust fund.  I guess a road somewhere (the infamous Bridge to Nowhere (never actually built, by the way)) could be a pet project, but I'm guessing that most of the roads and mass transit things are actually needed.  And this LUTF certainly sounds like a valid use of the money, though the need of such a fund is kind of scary.