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Daily Dose: Another Transit Shutdown Crisis Brewing

The Washington Post reports that state transportation officials are worried that another congressional stalemate could lead to a halt in construction projects nationwide, leaving thousands out of work and delays in highway and transit projects.

The Washington Post reports:

“Facing a Sept. 30 deadline, officials are mindful of the deadlock that occurred this month over extension of funding for the Federal Aviation Administration. That cost an estimated $350 million in tax revenue and led to a partial agency shutdown that put 4,000 FAA employees and tens of thousands of construction workers out of work for two weeks.

Both the federal authority to collect the 18.4 cents a gallon in federal gas tax and authorization to spend the revenue on transit and highway projects are due to expire.

“When Congress comes back, they’re only going to have 11 days to take action,” said Susan Martinovich, president of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. “There is a crisis brewing.”

With only 11 days to reach a resolution, looks like we might be heading for another shutdown. It’s possible that this shut down will be even more far reaching than the FAA shutdown earlier this month. State officials explained that without the reauthorization of funding, state officials could not put projects out to bid and would be forced to start shutting down projects underway. Since many highway and transit programs are reimbursed by federal funding, states will be taking an enormous risk to start new projects if funds were not guaranteed at the federal level.

Do you think we are heading towards another shutdown? What can the states do to keep our roads and bridges safe?

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“Daily Dose of the Washington Post” is a blog series created by GovLoop in partnership with The Washington Post. If you see great a story in the Post and want to ask a question around it, please send it to thedoctor@govloop.com.

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