One of the top two issues of the 2017 legislative session, transportation funding, kicked off in earnest last Wednesday with the first evening meeting of the Joint Legislative Committee on Transportation Preservation and Modernization. Charged with cobbling together a comprehensive funding package addressing all modes of travel, the committee will divide into at least four subcommittees intent on diving deeper into their respective topic areas.

Each co-chair and vice-chair will lead one of the subcommittees, which include 1) transit and safety; 2) maintenance and preservation of the system; 3) non-roadway modes (air, rail, marine, etc.); and 4) congestion and freight mobility.

The full committee and subcommittees are expected to meet during the evenings as the 14 members have extremely full schedules during the day. Transportation funding, along with the overall state budget, is considered to be an issue of critical importance to the 2017 legislative session. AOC will be heavily involved in discussions and negotiations as they unfold over the next few months.

Contributed by: Mike Eliason | AOC Transportation Policy Manager