Chuyển đến nội dung chính

The Infrastructure Bill and the SFMTA

The Infrastructure Bill and the SFMTA
By

What the infrastructure bill means for the SFMTA

On December 20, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi joined Mayor London Breed and US Representative Mark DeSaulnier to promote the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that was signed into law in November. They held an event at the corner of Second and Howard Streets to explain how the bill will benefit California and show the type of street improvements it can pay for to improve pedestrian safety. These include things like wider sidewalks, protected bike lanes, transit boarding islands and ADA-compliant curb ramps. It’s through these types of improvements that San Francisco will be able to reach its goal of eliminating traffic fatalities.

The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), which coordinates Bay Area transportation financing, estimates that the infrastructure bill will provide about $4.5 billion in funding to the region over the next five years via formula funds that the MTC allocates. This is $1.1 billion more than was available than during the last five-year funding cycle.

The MTC will decide how to divide up the infrastructure bill formula funds among Bay Area transit agencies. It can go toward State of Good Repair needs such as fleet replacement and rehabilitating cable cars and historic streetcars. It can also be used to fund “guideway” needs like replacing rails and overhead cables. If the MTC follows its historic pattern of formula funding distribution, the SFMTA can expect 27% more in additional funds for Fleet Replacement and 49% more in additional funds for Fixed Guideways than during the last funding period.

The infrastructure bill also includes about $140 billion in competitive grant funding that will be administered throughout the country by the U.S. Department of Transportation. The SFMTA is in a good position to compete for these funds, which are available for capital investments; low-emission and no-emission vehicles and infrastructure; and safe streets projects like the one that was highlighted at Speaker Pelosi’s Dec. 20 event. But, since these funds are available through a competitive process, nothing is guaranteed. For example, the safe streets funding is the first nationally competitive program of its size, so we anticipate that competition for it will be strong.

As great as it is that the SFMTA and other transit agencies will receive extra funding through the infrastructure bill, it’s not enough money to eliminate all the agency’s financial needs. The infrastructure bill doesn’t provide any funding at all for operating expenses, which increase every year because the cost of parts, labor, fuel and living in the Bay Area just keep going up. It also doesn’t make a sizeable dent in our State of Good Repair needs and our funding needs for major capital projects.

Additionally, almost every source of federal funding requires a match of 20% from local sources, and in many cases, it requires more than that. The federal government wants to see that local policymakers prioritize the transportation needs the feds are being asked to support. This is where the Muni Reliability and Street Safety General Obligation Bond proposed for the ballot in June 2022 comes in. It could be a source of local matching funds for some of the federal funding the SFMTA is going to apply for. GO Bond funding could also support projects that the infrastructure bill is less likely to fully fund, such as facility replacement.

While funding facilities may not be as exciting as funding zero-emissions buses, the two are inextricably linked. Several SFMTA facilities will need to be fully replaced to be able to store and charge the new buses once we transition completely to battery-electric buses. Upgrading our facilities is also essential to providing a safe and healthy working environment to our staff. Some of our facilities are so old that they don’t have heat and aren’t ready for a major earthquake. Providing our staff with safe working conditions is crucial for the functioning of transportation in San Francisco.



Published December 30, 2021 at 11:30PM
https://ift.tt/3mHFUM0
Nhãn:

Nhận xét

Đăng nhận xét

Bài đăng phổ biến từ blog này

Đảm bảo tiêu chí Coherence và Cohesion trong IELTS Writing

Coherence & Cohesion là một trong bốn tiêu chí chủ chốt để đánh giá bài IELTS Speaking và Writing . Trong bài viết dưới đây, mời các bạn cùng IELTS Vietop tham khảo lại định nghĩa và những cách để đảm bảo tiêu chí Coherence và Cohesion trong IELTS Writing nhé! Tiêu chí Coherence và Cohesion trong IELTS Writing là gì? Tiêu chí Coherence & Cohesion là hai khía cạnh quan trọng trong việc đánh giá và phân tích một bài IELTS Writing. Trong đó: Tiêu chí Coherence và Cohesion trong IELTS Writing là gì Coherence (tính liên kết): Mức độ mà các ý tưởng trong văn bản liên kết với nhau một cách hợp lý và có tổ chức. Nó đảm bảo rằng các ý tưởng trong văn bản được trình bày theo một cách mạch lạc và dễ hiểu. Người viết cần sử dụng các từ nối, cụm từ, và cấu trúc câu hợp lý để giúp cho các ý tưởng trong văn bản được trình bày một cách logic và mạch lạc. Cohesion (tính gắn kết): Mức độ mà các câu trong văn bản gắn kết với nhau một cách hợp lý và tự nhiên. Nó đảm bảo rằng các câu t...
Đăng nhận xét
Đọc thêm

Talk about generation gap – Bài mẫu IELTS Speaking part 1, 2, 3

Talk about generation gap là dạng đề bài không quá dễ dàng đối với các bạn đang ôn luyện thi IELTS . Để có thể làm tốt chủ đề này, thí sinh cần nắm chắc từ vựng và cấu trúc về chủ đề Generation Gap (Chênh lệch thế hệ). Hôm nay, IELTS Vietop sẽ cung cấp cho bạn Talk about generation gap – Bài mẫu IELTS Speaking Part 1, 2, 3. 1. Từ vựng Talk about generation gap Generation gap /ˌʤɛnəˈreɪʃən ɡæp/ (n): Khác biệt thế hệ Ageism / ˈeɪˈʤɪɪzᵊm/ (n): Phân biệt đối xử dựa trên độ tuổi Technology divide / tɛkˈnɑləʤi dɪˈvaɪd/ (n): Sự khác biệt về sử dụng công nghệ Cultural shift /ˈkʌlʧərəl ʃɪft/ (n): Sự thay đổi văn hóa Traditional values /trəˈdɪʃənəl ˈvæljuz/ (n): Giá trị truyền thống Intergenerational conflict /ˌɪntərˈʤɛnəˈreɪʃənəl ˈkɑnflɪkt/ (n): Xung đột đa thế hệ Communication breakdown /kəmˌjunəˈkeɪʃən ˈbreɪkˌdaʊn/ (n): Mất liên lạc trong giao tiếp Respect for elders /rɪˈspɛkt fɔr ˈɛldərz/ (n): Sự tôn trọng người lớn tuổi Lifestyle differences /ˈlaɪfˌstaɪl ˈdɪfərənsɪz/ (n)...
Đăng nhận xét
Đọc thêm

Reading Practice: Toxic stress a slow wear and tear

A. Our bodies are built to respond when under attack. When we sense danger, our brain goes on alert, our heart rate goes up, and our organs flood with stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. We breathe faster, taking in more oxygen, muscles tense, our senses are sharpened and beads of sweat appear. This combination of reactions to stress is also known as the “fight-or-flight” response because it evolved as a survival mechanism, enabling people and other mammals to react quickly to life-threatening situations. The carefully orchestrated yet near-instantaneous sequence of hormonal changes and physiological responses helps someone to fight the threat off or flee to safety. Unfortunately, the body can also overreact to stressors that are not life-threatening, such as traffic jams, work pressure, and family difficulties. B. That’s all fine when we need to jump out of the way of a speeding bus, or when someone is following us down a dark alley. In those cases, our stress is considere...
Đăng nhận xét
Đọc thêm