Portland, Ore – Today Congressman Earl
Blumenauer (D-Ore) joined local citizens and community leaders to announce his
proposal for immediately reducing the impact of rising gas prices. Portland and the metro
region have led the way in providing innovative and cost effective methods for
helping people deal with the rising costs of gas. Rep Blumenauer’s bill takes
these ideas even further by having the federal government invest in communities,
transportation choices, and affordable location-efficient housing.
“Gas prices have shot up by more than a dollar a gallon
in the last few months,” said Congressman Blumenauer. “As much as we all want a
simple solution to the complex energy puzzle, there is no silver bullet. One
thing we can do now is give people more choices. Portland is recognized internationally because
of the transportation choices we offer our citizens. This has led to huge
savings for families, and I want to improve on this model and extend it to other
areas of the country. My proposal includes everything from offering a tax credit
for carpooling to helping transit agencies cope with rising fuel prices and
demand by funding fare subsidies, service improvements, fuel purchases, and
technology assistance. These are short term actions that will immediately
provide relief from rising energy costs.”
“We're proud of our track record at Intel in offering
numerous initiatives to spur alternative transportation, including transit
subsidies, bicycle programs and employee shuttle service to light-rail
stations,” said Jonathan Williams, Intel's Oregon Government Affairs Manager.
"We appreciate Congressman Blumenauer's work to encourage more employers to lead
the way in developing and supporting alternative commute programs for their
employees."
"Congressman Blumenauer’s bill is a
powerful toolbox packed with low-cost, high-impact ways to help Oregonians avoid
rising gas prices and fight global warming,” said Bob Stacey, Executive Director
of 1000 Friends of Oregon. “As energy costs rise, we’re all looking for more
choices in where we live and how we get around. This bill gives Americans a
break and helps build affordable, walkable, family friendly communities at the
same time."
THE BLUMENAUER LEGISLATION
WILL:
Increase Commuter
Choices
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Equalize the
transportation fringe benefit between those who commute by public transportation
and those who commute by driving.
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Allow employees to
cash-in their parking benefits to use on other commute choices.
-
Extend the same
transportation fringe benefits to bike commuters as provided for those who
commute by car or public transportation.
-
Extend
transportation fringe benefits to individuals who are self-employed.
-
Create a tax credit
for vanpool expenses and services for those who share their commutes.
-
Create a tax credit
for qualified employers and employees who telecommute.
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Provide commuters
information on transportation choices through educational programs such as
Metro’s “Drive Less, Save More” program; grants to support carpooling and
vanpooling programs; informational websites and other materials.
Help Transit Agencies
-
Help transit
agencies cope with rising fuel prices and increasing demand by providing federal
funds for fare subsidies, service improvements, fuel purchases, and technology
assistance.
-
Require the FTA to
consider a Streetcar project’s contributions to land use, density, economic
development, and carbon emission reductions in considering it for federal
funding.
Assist Communities
-
Expand the
successful Safe Routes to Schools program to include high schools; double the
authorized funding for this successful national program.
-
Provide federal
grants to improve communities’ transportation choices, such as travel demand
management strategies, carpool or telecommuting projects, upgrades to streets to
facilitate bicycle and pedestrian use, intelligent transportation improvements
to reduce congestion, and car-sharing and bike sharing
programs.
Provide Housing
Assistance
-
Increase information
about and availability of Location-Efficient Mortgages (LEM) for homes located
near public transportation. LEMs increase the borrowing power of home buyers who
choose not to drive, since they don’t have to spend household income owning and
operating an automobile.
-
Provide funds to
help states acquire, construct, and preserve affordable housing close to public
transit.
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Require the
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to develop a standard that measures
the transportation costs associated with a home’s location, enabling Real Estate
agents to provide this information to prospective buyers.
Require the Federal Government to Lead by
Example
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Provide
transportation fringe benefits to all federal employees.
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Encourage Federal
agencies to participate in local transportation management associations that
promote more efficient use of transportation and parking resources.
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