March 2, 2009
|
Obama Releases $3.6 Trillion Budget Plan for FY 2010; Includes $72.5 Billion for U.S. DOT
President Obama released his proposed $3.6 trillion federal budget “framework” for Fiscal Years 2010 and beyond on Feb. 26. The specifics of the budget (including all account-level data) are expected to be released in April.
For U.S. DOT, the FY 2010 budget proposes $72.5 billion in discretionary budgetary resources—about $1.8 billion more than the $70.7 billion appropriated in the version of the omnibus FY 2009 appropriations bill passed by the House, or an increase of 2.5 percent.
Highlights of the U.S. DOT budget include four goals, specifically one that calls for increasing funds for public transit. They are:
* A commitment to better target surface transportation spending and options to make the nation’s communities more livable and less congested, such as through road pricing;
* Increased funding for public transit to support commuters, improve air quality, and reduce greenhouse gases;
* Backing for development of high-speed rail networks across the country to link regional population centers; and
* Supporting the Next Generation Air Transportation System to modernize the air traffic control system.
The document states: “The Administration intends to work with the Congress to reform surface transportation programs both to put the system on a sustainable financing path and to make investments in a more sustainable future, enhancing transit options and making our economy more productive and our communities more livable. Further, the nation’s surface transportation system must generate the best investments to reduce congestion and improve safety. To do so, the Administration will emphasize the use of economic analysis and performance measurement in transportation planning. This will ensure that taxpayer dollars are better targeted and spent.”
The budget also proposes a new $1 billion per year appropriation over the next five years for high-speed rail development, to complement the $8 billion “jump-start” in rail funding provided by the economic stimulus law.
The budget for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security includes a provision to safeguard the nation’s transportation systems through additional resources to bolster critical transportation sectors and by leveraging a user fee to minimize overall costs.
The document is available here.
|
