"That bill is nicknamed the BASICS act, in what might be a swipe at House Transportation Chairman and Missouri Republican Sam Graves's infamous suggestion that the next transportation bill needs to "get back to basics" like building highways rather than bike lanes, sidewalks, and transit. And experts say the legislation would almost certainly translate to more money for those kinds of active and shared transportation initiatives, which local residents continuously demand but from which states often divert funding to add more lanes for drivers"
"It would also help fill gaping loopholes that allocate 16 percent of federal transportation funds to regional and local governments, despite the fact that they own a whopping 75 percent of the nation's roads and generate a disproportionate share of total gas taxes and other transportation funds. As a result of that gulf, the Local Officials in Transportation Coalition say that locally owned roads and bridges are twice as likely to be rated in poor condition - and they're also home to a disproportionate share"
The Bridges And Safety Infrastructure for Community Success (BASICS) Act would change federal transportation formula funding to return more funds to metro regions, prioritizing human-centered infrastructure like bike lanes, sidewalks, and transit. The bill would counteract state DOTs' tendency to divert funds into highway expansion and create accountability for regional investment. Currently regional and local governments receive 16 percent of federal transportation funds despite owning 75 percent of roads and contributing a disproportionate share of gas taxes. Locally owned roads and bridges face higher rates of poor condition and roadway fatalities. The legislation aims to accelerate project delivery and improve safety by directing resources to urban and shared-transportation projects.
Read at Streetsblog
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