New Report: Feds Subsidizing Parking Six Times as Much as Transit

New Report: Feds Subsidizing Parking Six Times as Much as Transit: "

Image: Subsidyscope

"Subsidy" is a word used quite often in transportation policy-making circles, whether by road acolytes who claim (falsely) that highways are not federally subsidized because of the gas tax or by transit boosters who lament Washington's unceasing focus on paying for more local asphalt.

But the subsidy debate often overlooks the government tax exemption for workers' parking expenses. And federal parking subsidies are skyrocketing, as Subsidyscope revealed yesterday in its data-packed report on U.S. transport spending: the value of tax-free parking will reach $3 billion this year, compared with $500 million in subsidies for transit use.

The imbalance might be corrected if the government had always treated
parking and transit equally when it came to tax benefits. Until Sen.
Charles Schumer (D-NY) added a provision to this year's economic
stimulus law that set a monthly maximum of $230 for both transit and
parking benefits, workers could write off a maximum of slightly more
than $200 in parking, while the maximum tax-free value of transit
passes was about $100 less.

Subsidyscope, a joint project of the Pew Charitable Trusts and the Sunlight Foundation, pored over federal records to produce a searchable database of transportation spending dating back to the year 2000. Their researchers' conclusions found that highways received $30 billion in federal support last year -- more than three times as much as transit, which got $9 billion.

How much of that $30 billion was a subsidy? It's tough to say, according to Subsidyscope, since state DOTs are not required to report the details of how federal road aid is distributed. Still, the overwhelming majority of federal transport programs contain subsidies (see the chart after the jump for more details).

A more classic example of federal subsidy is programs that transfer the risk of new projects onto the federal government. The Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA), which offers loans to states and localities at a low interest rate, is the transport sector's major source of credit subsidies from Washington -- and the majority of TIFIA loans go to highway projects.

(ed. note. This post was updated from an earlier version that neglected to note Schumer's addition to the economic stimulus law.)

Image: Subsidyscope

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Our Bridges Are the Worst

Our Bridges Are the Worst: "

Under the Kosciusko Bridge

While our city's bridges may be fantastic for falcons, they're unfortunately not so great when it comes to us humans. A new list, provided by the General Contractors Association, points out the worst bridges and elevated roadways right here in New York City. Drum roll please!

• 1. Kosciusko Bridge
  
  
• 2. Gowanus Expressway
  
  
• 3. Bronx River Parkway over Amtrak
  
  
• 4. Cross Bronx Expressway Viaduct over Amtrak and the Sheridan Expressway
  
  
• 5. Bronx Terminal Viaduct Carrying the Major Deegan by Yankee Stadium
  
  
• 6. Major Deegan Expressway over Sedgewick Avenue & Metro-North Railroad
  
  
• 7. Bruckner Expressway Service Road Northbound
  
  
• 8. Bruckner Boulevard Viaduct
  
  
• 9. 150th Street Over Belt Parkway
  
  
• 10. Major Deegan Ramp to 153rd Street/Cromwell Avenue (Southbound)

According to the president of City College of NY, “You can only run vehicles over these bridges and freeways over a period of time before the wear and tear builds up.” Here's a look at the worst bridge collapses in the past 100 years, to aid with your nightmares tonight.

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