U.S. Transportation Chief Pushes Obama Bill, Defends Atlanta Streetcar Investment

The country’s Highway Trust Fund is backed by a tax on gasoline, but revenues have been in decline for years. At current spending levels, the fund is scheduled to run dry in August.

In recent years, Congress has addressed similar shortfalls with short-term cash infusions. President Obama is proposing a four-year plan partly funded by closing corporate loopholes, which Republicans have generally opposed.

“Twenty seven times over the past time five years Congress has chosen to put a band aid on this county’s transportation system, funding it in fits and starts,” said Foxx. “Thank goodness for communities like Atlanta that have had the vision and fortitude to continue planning and designing and engineering to get projects in a position to get done even despite the uncertainty in Washington.”

Foxx says 700,000 jobs nationally and thousands here in Georgia will be in jeopardy if Congress doesn’t act on Obama’s proposal.

Meanwhile, Foxx defended the $47 million federal investment in the Atlanta Streetcar, which is at least 10 months behind schedule and millions over-budget. He said the project will pay off.

“You have to look at the response of the development community to the Streetcar. You’re seeing $300 million of investment even before it gets built,” said Foxx.

City officials have said the Streetcar will finally launch this summer. But after Foxx spoke, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed couldn’t confirm that, saying only it would be running by Dec. 31 – the lone date, he said, he can stand by.