James Oberstar: “Parking facilities are eligible under a number of our surface transportation programs, funded out of the Highway Trust…”

“Parking facilities are eligible under a number of our surface transportation programs, funded out of the Highway Trust Fund. In the SAFETEA-LU legislation, we authorize funding for parking facilities to encourage commuters to park their vehicles and use public transportation. Congestion is a growing problem all across this country. It costs us $68 billion a year. The more cars we can get off the roadway and more people use public transportation, the better off citizens are in their drive patterns. And the parking facilities encourage carpooling, vanpooling and use of light rail and commuter rail and local bus transit operations. Furthermore, because they're funded with Highway Trust Fund moneys, no fees can be charged at these parking facilities, so they're not revenue-generating activities. Furthermore, we have imposed very strict standards for highway safety for long-haul truckers. Hours of service have been limited so that roadways will be safer, but those long-haul truckers, working long hours, need safe places where they can rest.”