Pete Buttigieg Questioned By Chris Pappas On ‘Toll Credit Exchange’ Programs

last year

Last month, Rep. Chris Pappas (D-NH) questioned Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on toll funding for state projects during a House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee

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Transcript

00:00Gentleman Yields, Mr. Pappas is recognized for five minutes.

00:04Thank you very much, Madam Chair and Mr. Secretary.

00:06Welcome back to the committee.

00:07I appreciate your thoughtfulness and how much time and how accessible you always are to

00:11this committee.

00:12So it's great to have you back.

00:13And it's always a good time to talk about how the bipartisan infrastructure law is working

00:18for our districts.

00:19I see that in New Hampshire, we're set to receive about $1.4 billion in state formula

00:23funds for highways and bridges over five years, which represents a significant increase over

00:28what we could count on in previous years.

00:30And already about $850 million has been announced for New Hampshire roads, bridges, roadway

00:34safety and other major federally funded projects.

00:37So Secretary Buttigieg, as you know, federal law allows states like New Hampshire to use

00:42toll credits to cover local match requirements for federally funded projects.

00:47But since states could historically only use toll credits for projects within the state

00:50where credits were accrued, many states left extra toll credits on the table.

00:55That's why I have advocated for legislation, the Toll Credit Marketplace Act, provisions

00:59of which were included in the infrastructure law, which will develop a federal marketplace

01:03for toll credits, which will allow states to sell any excess credits to cover the match

01:07required for federally funded projects.

01:10I think it's a common sense change.

01:12We discussed this last year when you were before our committee.

01:15I'm wondering if you can update us on any progress with the toll credit exchange pilot

01:20program that is anticipated to roll out soon.

01:24Thank you.

01:26I associate myself with your enthusiasm for what the infrastructure law has brought.

01:30Most recently, congratulations to your district on the Rockingham Planning Commission successfully

01:37receiving that Seacoast Greenway Hampton Marsh Trail funding.

01:42With regard to the Toll Credit Marketplace Program, we recognize the importance and the

01:46value of an innovative program like that that you worked to create, and I know that they're

01:52looking to use their toll credits in new ways.

01:54I can report to you that the Federal Highway Administration has made a lot of progress

01:59on that.

02:00As you know, any time you stand up a novel program, it leads to a lot of work that goes

02:04on in the background, which we're working through.

02:06But the focus right now has been developing the right program procedures, including the

02:10application and the selection process, making that as transparent and as rigorous as possible.

02:16And we'll continue to keep you updated on the team working expeditiously to get it stood

02:20up and ready to use.

02:21Well, I appreciate that.

02:22I know my state has itself hundreds of millions of dollars of unused toll credits that are

02:27on the table, and I know other states are eager to be able to deploy these resources

02:30to make the necessary investments that will improve roadway safety and improve our economy.

02:36Now, my state's at a decided disadvantage when it comes to formula funding distribution.

02:41And since coming to Congress, I've worked to evaluate current funding structures to

02:44ensure states like mine get the adequate support that they need and that it's distributed in

02:50an equitable fashion.

02:51The calculations used to come up with the formula are, I believe, grossly outdated.

02:56For example, a state like Rhode Island, with half the roadway mileage of my state, received

03:0030 percent more funding in fiscal year 2024.

03:03Vermont, which has about half the population of my state and fewer federal miles, received

03:07nearly 23 percent more in federal highway funds than New Hampshire did in fiscal year

03:122024.

03:13There are other states that are treated, I believe, inequitably by the formula, including

03:17Texas.

03:18I'm wondering if you'll conduct a study or provide any information for our committee

03:22as we think about the future of highway funding in terms of the formula and areas where we

03:28can look to make it more balanced and equitable for states like mine.

03:32Thank you.

03:33We'd certainly stand ready to provide any information, data analysis, or technical assistance

03:39requested as Congress contemplates future changes to the formula.

03:43As you know, we work to implement the formula as provided by Congress.

03:47But certainly hear loud and clear from many states who have found that the formula is

03:52not consistent with their expectations based on their needs.

03:55And happy to do anything we can to make sure that Congress's deliberations about that are

03:59well informed.

04:00I appreciate that.

04:02Drunk and impaired driving traffic deaths have increased by 33 percent in the last five

04:06years.

04:07Even as vehicles are getting safer, crashes, injuries, and fatalities are still on the

04:11rise.

04:12In the United States, someone is killed or injured in a drunk driving crash every 39

04:16minutes.

04:17And an average drunk driver has driven drunk nearly 80 times before their first arrest.

04:21Currently, only 24 states and the District of Columbia, including my state, require ignition

04:26interlock devices to be installed in the vehicles of first-time offenders.

04:30Studies have shown that the use of these interlocks reduce recidivism by up to 70 percent in first-time

04:36repeat and high-risk offenders.

04:38That's why I've introduced legislation on this.

04:40And I'm wondering if you can comment on ignition interlock systems and the role that they can

04:45play in terms of roadway safety.

04:47We certainly recognize the promise and the potential of these interlock systems, given,

04:51as you noted, the proportion of highway fatalities and road injuries and fatalities that are

04:56associated with impairment.

04:58NHTSA has been working to help research, develop, and test solutions, including ignition interlock

05:03programs and the driver alcohol detection system for safety.

05:08A lot goes into that and, of course, need to make sure that anything that goes out into

05:12the field is ready to meet the high bar we're going to set for it.

05:18I would note that there was an advance notice of proposed rulemaking put out in December

05:22to gather more information on technology and research in this regard.

05:25And we'll be working through that ANPRM and continue to keep you apprised of progress

05:29there.

05:30Thanks.

05:31We look forward to more information.

05:32I yield back.

Pete Buttigieg Questioned By Chris Pappas On ‘Toll Credit Exchange’ Programs

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