The Move LA team has landed in DC for the launch of America Fast Forward, the national version of LA’s 30-10 plan. Gary Toebben, president and CEO of the LA Chamber of Commerce joined them Wednesday morning for a meeting with eight US DOT officials, including Assistant Secretary Polly Trottenberg and Assistant Secretary Joel Szabat. They report US DOT is very enthusiastic about both 30-10 and America Fast Forward, and that they said the bipartisan support that has developed will be key to success in moving legislation forward in Congress. Move LA has been helping to gather signatures from both Republican and Democratic mayors who support America Fast Forward and are in key Congressional districts; more than 100 mayors have signed on.
The Move LA team will be joined by LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and LA Metro Board Member Richard Katz for lunch in the Senate dining room, where they will be greeted by Senator Barbara Boxer before heading to the America Fast Forward press conference in the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing room. AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka and Tom Donohue, president and CEO of the US Chamber of Commerce will be at the press conference as well as Boxer and House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chair John Mica (R-FL).
America Fast Forward, like 30-10, is focused on leveraging transportation projects at the state and local levels, and would do so through tax code incentives and credit assistance. The legislative proposal includes Qualified Transportation Improvements Bonds and enhanced funding for the TIFIA (Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act) program.
In addition to Trottenberg and Szabat, other US DOT officials in the Wednesday morning meeting were Therese McMillan, Karen Rae and Gregory Nadeau, deputy administrators, and Robert Mariner from the Office of the Secretary, and Sabrina Sussman, assistant to Trottenberg.
More to come!
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