The Eno Center for Transportation announced it will unveil a report in December that looks at sustainable funding options for federal transportation programs.
Joshua Schank, executive director of the Washington-based nonprofit, indicated the report is “going to be about the future” of the federal Highway Trust Fund account, and it will include recommendations for policymakers on how to achieve long-term funding for transportation.
In August, President Obama signed into law a $10.8 billion bill to keep the trust fund operating through May 2015. The Department of Transportation uses the account to reimburse states for certain costs related to large-scale infrastructure projects. Without that short-term funding boost, DOT officials had said they would have scaled back reimbursements for active transportation projects — projects that impact the trucking industry.
The trust fund has been bankrolled by a national tax on gas and diesel fuel. But because automobile fuel efficiency has improved and more people rely on transit options, the gas tax has been an insufficient source of funding. In recent years, lawmakers have not agreed on a multiyear approach to keep the trust fund solvent.
The group has scheduled a press conference for Dec. 3 at the National Press Club in Washington to unveil the report.
