Senate Committee Approves FY 2013 Transportation Funding

Despite the lack of authorizing legislation, nevertheless the Senate Appropriations Committee today approved funding for transportation programs for FY 2013 which begins October 1, 2012. The legislation funds the Federal-aid highway program at $39.144 billion, the same level as this year but down 4.7 percent from the fiscal year 2011 level. This is below the funding level contained in MAP-21, the Senate passed two year authorization bill that will soon be subject to consideration in a Senate –House conference committee. The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) New Starts program increased by 4.5 percent over 2012, to $2.044 billion This is also an increase over the FY 2011 level. FTA’s transit formula grants program is maintained at this year’s level of $8.361 billion (down slightly from FY 2011). Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Airport Improvement Program funding is set at $3.35 billion, a reduction of 4.7 percent from FY 2011. However, this is the level that was approved in the recently enacted FAA authorization legislation. The TIGER grant program was also maintained at last year’s level of $500 million, but also down from its high water mark of $527 billion in FY 2011. Federal Rail Administration’s high-speed rail program received $100 million. No funds were provided for this program in fiscal years 2011 or 2012, however, residual funding still remains from the $10 billion provided for this program in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The ARRA funds are still available through FY 2016. Amtrak’s capital improvement program is funded at $1.05 billion an increase over FY 2012 of 10.3 percent. For more information, please contact Brian Deery at (703) 837-5319 ordeeryb@agc.org.