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Cornyn Pledges to Work With Metroplex Mayors On Innovative Transportation Solutions
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
ADDISON—U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, today hosted a “listening session” with members of the Metroplex Mayors Association (MMA), which includes mayors and city managers from cities throughout the greater Dallas-Fort Worth area. Sen. Cornyn requested the special meeting of the MMA to hear from local leaders on several transportation-related issues in the area, including relieving highway congestion and potential plans by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to impose stricter air quality requirements for ground-level ozone.
“This was a productive meeting to discuss solutions to relieve congestion on Metroplex roads and improve safety for local families,” Sen. Cornyn said. “In addition, I gained a clearer picture of the challenges posed by the already stringent EPA air quality standards and the significant progress these mayors each have made to bring their communities into compliance. We should work together to improve air quality in a way that protects the local economy and infrastructure.”
Sen. Cornyn added: “I assured the mayors and community leaders that I will continue to fight for a better return on Texas’ tax dollars to fully fund priority transportation projects in the area. Sufficient highway funding is essential to fast-growing regions like the Metroplex, where cities must be able to keep up with the expansion and keep the population moving.”
Sen. Cornyn also discussed the newly released report issued by the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission calling for significant reforms to fix old bridges and roads and reduce traffic deaths. Among these proposed reforms is a call for increasing the federal gasoline tax by as much as 40 cents a gallon.
“While I have never voted for a tax hike in the Senate and will not do so moving forward, I welcome the debate on transportation funding that is soon to dominate the halls of Congress. I’m hopeful this debate will spur innovative thinking to address the growing gap between transportation needs and actual federal dollars available. I urge my colleagues in Congress and leaders on the local level to steer away from the traditional crutch of tax hikes to solve fiscal dilemmas, and instead come up with new, unique solutions to meet shortfalls.”
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