RICHMOND, Va. -- Presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg is critical of the federal government's use of gas taxes and its failures to improve rail service -- issues that both are hot topics in Virginia.
The United for Infrastructure conference in Las Vegas, billed as the first 2020 campaign event to focus on the issue, featured Democratic candidates Buttigieg, Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Amy Klobuchar and businessman Tom Steyer. All agreed that the nation needs to invest more to repair aging roads and bridges, but they were more cautious on whether to raise the federal gas tax for the first time since 1993 for infrastructure needs.
Buttigieg told the crowd that the nation needs to be realistic about the future of gas taxes.
"We are going to have to graduate from the gas tax because we're going to have to graduate from gas," said Buttigieg, who will attend a town hall in Fairfax this Sunday. "We know that it is not a viable, long-term funding mechanism for our highways."
Virginia's General Assembly just passed two separate bills raising the state gas tax: Senate Bill 890 and House Bill 1414.
All four candidates said they support more commuter and high-speed rail investment to reduce highway traffic, but Buttigieg focused on the need to improve rail service on the busy Northeast corridor, particularly between Washington and New York and between Washington and Richmond. He said the Amtrak line that follows Interstate 95 is antiquated and causes bottlenecks in regions that still run on single tracks.
"We've got to decide whether we think it's OK for the greatest country in the world to have inferior transportation when it comes to rail," he said. "It just doesn't make sense, and I don't know why Americans should be tolerating inferior service relative to fellow members of industrialized economies."
The Commonwealth has pledged to invest almost $4 billion in rail over the next decade to reduce the number of single-track areas and increase train speeds. The number of Amtrak trains operating in Virginia is expected to double by 2030.
The texts of SB 890 and HB 1414 are online, as is information about the United for Infrastructure conference.
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Kristopher Dahir, Ward 5 city councilor in Sparks, is one of more than 2,800 city leaders in Washington, D.C., this week to discuss city topics and issues.
The National League of Cities Congressional City Conference brought local leaders from Nevada and the country to meet with federal officials and learn of infrastructure, transportation, public safety, clean energy and digital equity federal funding opportunities.
Dahir said while cities in the Silver State are different sizes and have separate needs, the issues are the same.
"We get to do it in one voice for Nevada," Dahir explained. "It really is important we work together and it doesn't mean we don't meet with them separately; we do for City of Sparks needs and things that we are going through. But when it comes to landfills or it comes to some of the rail safety things that are right now being talked about, those are real crucial to all cities."
Dahir pointed out digital equity is another issue affecting rural and urban Nevada communities. About 28 million of the almost 123 million households in the U.S. do not have high-speed broadband, according to Education Superhighway, which is why many conference attendees want Congress to pass the bipartisan Affordable Connectivity Program Extension Act, ensuring low-income households stay connected.
Dahir added the Congressional City Conference provides local leaders with the chance to network, exchange ideas, and learn about what other places are doing.
"We get to share ideas and we get to say 'how did that work for you?' from zoning policies to everything from HUB check stuff, workforce development," Dahir outlined. "We really get to see the ideas and then also the pathways to grant money, or the pathways to avoid."
Dahir wants Americans to have a sense of hope as local leaders work to bring awareness to issues affecting their communities and they are in search of solutions. He stressed many of the issues city leaders discussed are not what he considers partisan but things most federal officials support.
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A coalition of Utah stakeholders is launching the "Campaign for Public Transit in the 435," which will aim to bring better forms of transit to those who live in rural areas and engage legislators in the process.
Scott Mershon, Cache County resident and one of the organizers of the 435 Transit Campaign, said 435 is the phone area code for many who reside in the more rural parts of the state and are typically found outside the Wasatch Front. The 10 county coalition will be advocating for $47 million in new state funding to realize public transit projects of different kinds.
"It is looking to get either some sort of train extension on the FrontRunner or on existing railroad tracks or a bus to just be able to get out of the valley, and then there are other projects as well in Washington County, and expanding bus services and making them more reliable," Mershon said.
Mershon added lack of transportation can mean Utahns can experience challenges in securing a job because they can't get to work, to not being able to attend medical appointments as well as not seeing family and friends. A survey from Guiding our Growth found those in rural Utah strongly supported implementing public transportation, and investing in passenger rail came in a close second.
Carolyn Heaton, a researcher for the 435 Transit Action Campaign, said the current funding formulas don't equitably address rural parts of the state. She argues a bigger budget would lead to better planning. Heaton and others will be heading to the state Capitol tomorrow to educate decision makers about transportation challenges and invite them to also visit their respective communities to learn about barriers.
"Some communities do have bussing situations, but there are not enough buses, not enough people who are willing to drive the bus, and not enough funding to fund those departments to provide more buses and jobs for people to drive," she explained.
Heaton added for many Utahns who don't have a car, that means they're stuck. She added there are many people across the Beehive State with disabilities who can't drive but still need to get around. Others would prefer alternative, more green modes of transit to create less of a carbon footprint, and added that investing in better public transit would do just that.
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Studies show the health of New Mexico children who ride school buses could improve if the buses were electric instead of diesel, and efforts are underway to initiate a change.
Research has shown breathing diesel exhaust from school buses can lead to asthma and other respiratory illnesses. This year, the "School Bus Modernization Act" was introduced at the Roundhouse to provide school districts with the option to swap aging diesel buses with electric.
Charles Goodmacher, founder of the consulting firm Do Good and an advocate for electric buses, said while some have argued it is not a good fit for such a rural state, he believes otherwise.
"Ninety-one percent of New Mexico's school bus routes are 70 miles or shorter in total length, out and back, and the bus ranges are up to 120 miles," Goodmacher pointed out.
New Mexico school buses are replaced with state funds every 12 years. Goodmacher said the Modernization Act would remove disincentives local districts face in buying them while also providing financial aid. The Clean School Bus Program is part of the 2021 Bipartisan Inflation Reduction Act, with $5 billion in funding from the Environmental Protection Agency.
Although electric school buses currently cost a lot more than diesel options, they are touted for better mileage in addition to health outcomes. Goodmacher noted unlike some other states, the New Mexico bill introduced by Rep. Debbie Sariñana, D-Albuquerque, does not contain a mandate for schools to purchase electric buses.
"Colorado last year allocated $65 million for the purchase of electric school buses," Goodmacher explained. "Maryland, Maine, New York and California are mandating that all their school buses be electric by either 2035 or by 2040."
According to Goodmacher, studies show children riding in diesel buses could inhale four to eight times the particulate matter as those riding in a car in the same vicinity. Data from the World Resources Institute shows more than 20 million children ride the school bus across the U.S. and more than 90% run on diesel fuel.
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