Skip to Content
Streetsblog Los Angeles home
Streetsblog Los Angeles home
Log In
Transportation Funding

The U.S. Wants to “Borrow” From Transit to Pay for Highways

Like a burned-out addict stealing to support a meth habit, U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters said yesterday that due to declining gas tax revenues, the Highway Trust Fund would need to borrow money from its mass transit account to pay for road projects. Today's big news story was buried at the bottom of page A17 in the New York Times:

Gasoline tax revenue is falling so fast that the federal governmentmay not be able to meet its commitments to states for road projectsalready under way, the secretary of transportation said Monday.

Thesecretary, Mary E. Peters, said the short-term solution would be forthe Highway Trust Fund’s highway account to borrow money from thefund’s mass transit account, a step that would balance the accounts ashighway travel declines and use of mass transit increases.

Meanwhile, America's historically underfunded transit systems are also struggling with rising fuel prices and record demand. No word yet on how taking money away from transit to pay for highways fits in to George W. Bush's plan to end America's oil addiction.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog Los Angeles

This Week In Livable Streets

Bike Month continues, Metro 91 Freeway widening, Destination Crenshaw, Culver City Bus, Santa Monica MANGo, Metro bike lockers, Metro Sepulveda Transit, and more

May 6, 2024

San Fernando Valley Bus/Bike Updates: G Line, Roscoe Bus Lanes, Laurel Canyon Bike Lanes

Short newly protected bike lane on Laurel Canyon Blvd, extensive NSFV bus improvements under construction this month, and scaled-back G Line plans should get that project under construction this summer

May 6, 2024

No, L.A. City Does Not Always Add Required ADA Ramps During Resurfacing, But They Should

StreetsLA GM Keith Mozee "Any time we do street resurfacing, it is considered an alteration, which requires ADA ramps to be installed."

May 3, 2024
See all posts