|
Calendar
Aug 2-6
ACT Int'l Conference
|
|
ACT Patrons
Palladium
Silver
Bronze
|
|
|
 |
Congress Close to Finalizing Highway Trust Fund Patch; Deadline Just Days Away
Last week, the House passed a clean Highway Trust Fund patch that  would keep the program solvent through May 2015. The Senate is in the process of considering the legislation with action expected by next Wednesday. Before the Senate considers the House bill, four amendments will be offered.
The first amendment, offered by Senator Lee (R-UT), would devolve the program back to the states. This amendment has little chance of passage, but will be a good barometer of how many senators would like to end federal involvement in transportation.
The second amendment, offered by Senator Toomey (R-PA), would amend language related to streamlining.
The third one, offered by Senator Hatch (R-UT) and Senator Wyden (D-OR), would replace the House pay-fors (pension smoothing, etc.) with the Senate pay-fors (new fees, etc.).
The fourth amendment, offered by Senators Carper (D-DE), Boxer (D-CA), and Corker (R-TN), would shorten the length of the extension until the end of the calendar year. The rationale for this one is that there is a better chance of raising the gas tax in a lame duck session and that only during that timeframe would it be politically possible to take such action. It will be interesting to see who will support this amendment.
The unanimous consent agreement requires that each amendment must have 60 votes in order to be passed. If none of the amendments pass with 60 votes, the Senate is expected to approve the legislation and the President will sign next week, with just days left before the trust fund goes broke.
It is unclear what the next steps would be if an amendment were to pass, but it would likely set up another crisis.
|
 
|
|
FHWA Releases Additional Guidance on CMAQ Operating Assistance
The Federal Highway Administration released amended guidance on CMAQ operating assistance. The guidance refers to changes made in the FY14 appropriations bill that grandfathers in policy earmarks from SAFETEA-LU that allow certain projects to go beyond the five-year limit on operating assistance.
While Congress intended the language to be for a very limited and specific number of projects (i.e., the Amtrak Downeaster line), the revised guidance may have been written in such a way that it can be used by other projects. ACT's government relations team is reviewing the guidance and will report later. Final CMAQ guidance is still pending and it is unclear when that will be released.
See: Revised Interim Guidance on CMAQ Operating Assistance under MAP-21
|
|
| ACT International Conference Tops 400 Registrants | |
You can still get in on the excitement! If you haven't yet registered to attend the ACT International Conference, there's still time to join more than 400 of your colleagues in San Francisco by registering today. 
You'll find an updated, full program guide here (PDF).
Once you've registered, be sure to sign up for Sunday recreational tours, Monday night dine arounds, and Wednesday educational excursions here [link]. Also, plan to stay for the Awards Breakfast on Wednesday morning to help honor and celebrate members' achievements, hard work, and innovative ideas.
ACT's block at the Grand Hyatt San Francisco is sold out. Please refer to this list of nearby alternatives for alternate accommodations.
Please join with us in thanking all our sponsors. Their support is appreciated!
|
|
|
Next Netconference: Thursday, July 31
Pre-register Now for "Best of the Northwest: Integrating TDM Programs into Regional Planning Processes"
ACT and the National Center for Transit Research at the University of South Florida invite you to participate in next week's netconference, "Best of the Northwest: Integrating TDM Programs into Regional Planning Processes." This netconference was organized by ACT Cascade Chapter members from Washington state.
The 75-minute netconference will be held on Thursday, July 31 at 2:00 PM EST | 1:00 CST | Noon MST | 11:00 AM PST
The netconference is free, but pre-registration is required. You can register for this event here. It also will be recorded and available for playback at www.nctr.usf.edu.
Overview
Washington state planning regions are prioritizing TDM strategies as a way to optimize our transportation systems and meet broader conservation goals related to energy, climate and public health. Learn how the Puget Sound Regional Council (Seattle area) and the Thurston Regional Planning Council (Olympia area) have integrated these strategies in an award-winning fashion.
Event Presenters
Alex Krieg is an associate planner at the Puget Sound Regional Council, and is the staff lead for TDM issues at PSRC. Alex staffs the regional TDM Steering Committee, which recently developed a Regional TDM Action Plan that describes strategic priorities for local implementers of TDM and implementation actions at the regional level.
Karen Parkhurst has been the senior planner with Thurston Regional Planning Council (TRPC) since 2000, with a number of successful TDM projects and planning efforts under her belt. She currently sits on the Washington State Commute Trip Reduction Board, as well as the board of the Community Transportation Association - Northwest.
Chris Simmons is the treasurer of the Association for Commuter Transportation, and is a consultant based in the Seattle area. Chris is no stranger to ACT members, having served in a number of program, public policy, and leadership positions with ACT. He currently consults for TDM projects and organizations, specializing in project and program development, organizational advocacy, and federal grant compliance. Chris will serve as moderator.
If you have any questions, please email Phil Winters at winters@cutr.usf.edu.
|
|
|
Board Election to be Dynamic
| |
Nominations for ACT officers and at-large directors closed July 11, and we enjoyed plenty of interest from members interested in leadership positions. While officer slots each drew one candidate per position, the at-large director race attracted nine nominees for eight openings.
Candidate names will be announced later in August when online ballots go live. Members will have nearly a month after that to review candidates' qualification statements and make their choices. Watch for more details about the people, process, and timeline after the ACT International Conference.
On a related note: Melissa Madison was appointed by the board to fill the vacant Midwest Chapter director position.
|
|
| Chapter Leaders to Gather in San Francisco |
ACT Vice President Rob Henry held a conference call July 17 with chapter  presidents to update them on public policy issues, the upcoming conference, other association activities. Chapter presidents talked about their local programs, conference scholarships, membership recruitment efforts, and opportunities for collaborating with other chapters and allied organizations on regional events. Discussions also included plans for a chapter leadership meeting scheduled for Saturday, August 2 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in the Belvedere Room at the Grand Hyatt San Francisco.
|
|
| Connect with Your Favorite Council |
Are you interested in sustainable development, telework/alternative work arrangements, transportation management associations, university programs, or vanpool issues? ACT has a council focusing on each of those topics, and they're all meeting during the ACT International Conference. Refer to your Conference program guide for more information; meetings are open and packed with topical information.
|
| Join ACT or Renew Your Membership | If you are not already a member of ACT and want to join, or if you need to renew your membership to take advantage of all the opportunities ahead, click here. Contact TJ Cantwell, ACT's membership director, at cantwell@actweb.org or call 571.699.3064 for more information. |
|
Got News?
Help us spread the word about the people, places and things that are happening in the TDM world. Do you have any news or events that you would like included in a future issue of ACT Connections? Send them to Mark Wright, executive director, at wright@actweb.org. |
|
ACT Patrons
|
|
Silver
|
 |
|
Bronze
|
|
| 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
