Lack of New Highway Bill Slows MPC Progress

The Mountain-Plains Consortium continues to move forward with its strategic plan despite the lack of a new federal highway bill.

"We are continuing to implement our strategic plan based on short-term extensions to the current highway bill," says MPC director Denver Tolliver. The consortium has been able to continue some research that is underway, initiate funding for some research and make plans to increase the number of educational outreach programs.

TEA-21, the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century, is the federal highway bill passed in 1998. Among its various components is funding for 10 competitively selected University Transportation Center programs. The Mountain-Plains Consortium is one of those programs. It is administered by the UGPTI and features collaborative research and outreach programs at NDSU, the University of Utah, University of Wyoming and Colorado State University.

"Some of our efforts have been put on hold such as bringing South Dakota State University into the MPC." An informal agreement was reached to invite SDSU into the MPC subject to the reauthorization of the highway bill and increased funding. Increased funds were provided in both the Senate and House versions of the bill.

TEA-21 expired on Sept. 30, 2003. Several extensions have provided funding to on-going programs. The house passed a transportation bill that authorized $457.5 million over six years to the University Transportation Centers. The senate version of the bill authorized $265 million for the program. The White House proposal called for $195 million for University Transportation Centers. That is equal to the current level of funding.

"We are continuing as effectively as possible on our TEA-21 funding as it has been parceled out and is subject to existing obligations," Tolliver says.

Transportation Institute Researchers Participate on Rural Transportation Panel

Two researchers from the UGPTI's Small Urban & Rural Transit Center were part of a panel discussion on rural transportation issues at the annual Transportation Research Forum at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., March 21-23.

Gary Hegland presented results of a research project on transportation needs of the disadvantaged in North Dakota. In the study, Hegland and Jill Hough gathered information on how disadvantaged individuals use public transportation and their evaluations of existing services. The information will help transportation planners in the state focus on areas where service needs to be improved or expanded.

Hough discussed a study of rural road users' needs in North Dakota, South Dakota and Montana. In that study Hough and Hegland compared rural road users' perceptions of roads with decision makers' perceptions. Information will help county commissioners, engineers and others involved with maintenance and improvements on rural roads better communicate with and meet the demands of rural road users.

Hough is director of the SURTC. Hegland is an associate research fellow. The annual Transportation Research Forum features presentations on transportation research and advances from university and industry professionals. The Transportation Research Forum is an independent organization of transportation professionals. Its purpose is to provide a forum for the discussion of ideas and research techniques applicable to economic, management and public policy problems involving transportation.