06.29.12

Hoeven: New Highway Bill Map-21 Provides Road Funding Through 2014

Bill Is Fully Paid for, Does Not Add to Deficit or Debt

WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven today announced passage of a comprehensive transportation bill that provides record funding for North Dakota when combined with Emergency Road Funding. The legislation is fully paid for and does not add to the deficit or debt. It funds the rest of Fiscal Year 2012, 2013 and 2014, providing states with an additional year of funding and greater certainty to plan long-term projects.

Hoeven was a member of the joint Senate-House conference committee responsible for reconciling the House and Senate versions of the bill. The bill passed the Senate in a 74 to 19 vote.

The final Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21) bill provides funding for North Dakota in the amount of $240.5 million in Fiscal Year 2012, $240.5 million in Fiscal Year 2013 and $242.5 million in Fiscal Year 2014 under the federal highway program. The state will also receive an additional $41.3 million over the three years for public transit programs. Over three years, this legislation provides a total of $764 million to North Dakota for infrastructure.

Combined with $317 million in Emergency Road Funding Congress passed in December, North Dakota will receive a record $1.08 billion over three years to address highway construction needs statewide, flood recovery efforts and infrastructure projects in Western North Dakota.

The measure also expedites the environmental review process for highway projects to improve the state’s ability to move forward with needed infrastructure, and streamlines the number of highway programs to create greater efficiencies and reduce administrative costs. Additionally, the bill gives states more flexibility to allocate funding where most needed.

“We have passed a new comprehensive transportation bill that will take us through 2014, which will greatly help with highway planning and construction,” Hoeven said. “It is fully paid for, so that it doesn’t increase the deficit and debt. Together, with the emergency funding for roads, which we passed earlier for this fiscal year, North Dakota will receive over $1 billion to meet our infrastructure needs. The bill also streamlines the environmental review process, enabling our state to move forward with greater efficiency to address infrastructure needs across the state.”

In addition, the legislation makes changes to the Indian Reservation Roads Program formula, now called the Tribal Transportation Program, which will help protect North Dakota’s tribal road funding.