[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 49 (Wednesday, March 21, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E597]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E597]]
    ON THE INTRODUCTION OF THE ``FLEXIBILITY INCENTIVE GRANT PILOT 
                               PROGRAM''

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DORIS O. MATSUI

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 20, 2007

  Ms. MATSUI. Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce an important 
bill that anticipates and addresses our communities' immediate and 
future transportation needs.
  Today I am introducing the Flexibility Incentive Grant Pilot Program, 
or as I call it--the FIG program.
  This legislation creates a $250 million annual grant program that 
provides a two-prong approach to growing our national transit program 
while rewarding states and localities that are making an investment in 
their transit infrastructure.
  Specifically, this legislation will provide incentives to encourage 
States and counties to establish new sources of revenue for transit 
projects and services. Such sources may include the dedication of new 
State motor fuels taxes, sales taxes, interest on existing highway 
funds, motor vehicle excise taxes, tolls, or other sources of funding.
  Furthermore, this legislation rewards those States that currently 
invest in transit by making them eligible to receive ``bonus'' payments 
by the Secretary of Transportation so that they can continue to invest 
in their transportation infrastructure.
  I look at this as a federal transportation tax return for those 
states and localities that invest in their transportation 
infrastructure.
  Transportation is about partnerships--and funding our infrastructure 
requires a strong commitment between federal, State and local 
governments. We need to grow our transit system in order to meet our 
growing population and infrastructure demands that our states and 
localities are experiencing.
  Fortunately, some States are already making a substantial investment 
in their transportation infrastructure. For example, in my home state 
of California, voters last November approved $19.9 billion in 
transportation bonds to fund a variety of transportation projects and 
initiatives.
  At the local level, citizens are willing to tax themselves to pay for 
much need transportation improvements. For example, in my district of 
Sacramento, a recent survey revealed that 74 percent of Sacramento 
County residents would support a ballot tax measure for transit and 
roads. Our citizens understand the need for more transportation funds 
and are proving this as a priority at the ballot box.
  The federal government must play a key leadership role in encouraging 
this type of initiative.
  Why is this so important?
  Last week, the American Public Transportation Association announced 
that Americans took a record 10.1 billion trips on local public 
transportation in 2006.
  Over the last decade, public transportation's growth rate outpaced 
population growth and the growth rate of vehicle miles traveled on our 
Nation's highways.
  There is great demand on our national transit infrastructure.
  Since 1995 public transit use has increased by 30 percent, which is 
double the population growth in our country, 12 percent, during that 
same time period.
  Despite record levels of federal investment and the display of local 
jurisdictions to tax themselves for the purposes of increasing the 
level and quality of public transportation services, we have to make 
sure that State funding, across our country, keeps pace.
  State Legislatures are facing huge deficits and some States have 
little choice but to freeze or cut funding for many important programs, 
including transit services.
  My legislation is designed to encourage States and counties to think 
twice before they cut transit funding by providing ``bonus'' Federal 
transportation dollars to those States that increase public 
transportation funding or take steps to increase funding.
  As a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, my 
colleagues and I will be looking for new and innovative ways to fund 
our transportation programs in the coming years.
  The Flexibility Incentive Grant Pilot Program is a good place to 
start this conversation. I ask that my colleagues support my 
legislation.

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