Wednesday, the Senate passed a two-year, $109 billion transportation bill that tries to change all that \u2014 at least in a few modest ways. The bill itself is critical because funding for roads, bridges and transit is set to run out on March 31. But there are a few notable reforms tucked away in the legislation itself. For one, the Senate bill actually articulates major national goals for U.S. transportation policy \u2014 things like managing congestion, improving road conditions, reducing environmental impacts, improving the reliability of freight, and increasing access to transit. These goals don\u2019t really affect the way funding is handed out, but at least they finally exist.\u201cIt\u2019s the first time national goals have actually been articulated,\u201d says Joshua Schank, a former Senate staffer who now heads up the Eno Center for Transportation. \u201cIt\u2019s not done in a way that will impact how funding is actually distributed, but it will make states pay attention to those goals.\u201d It\u2019s a baby step, but it\u2019s also an unprecedented baby step.<\/p>\n
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