Washington, D.C. - Congressman Kevin Brady (R-The Woodlands) introduced H.R. 673 "The Safe Roads and Highways Act" along with Houston Democrat Representative Gene Green earlier this session.  Under the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments, the U.S. Department of Transportation cannot fund, authorize, or approve Federal actions to support programs or projects that are not first found to conform to the Clean Air Act requirements. 

 

Transportation projects can sometimes span several years.  If a transportation project falls out of conformity, federal funding stops grinding projects to a halt.  This can mean even longer delays in the project's completion and make roads even more dangerous and congested for commuters.  

 

Conformity problems have caused significant problems across the country.  In Houston, a conformity problem between November 1999 and June 2000 delayed design and right-of-way acquisition for several significant transportation projects, including the widening and reconstruction of U.S. 59 South and Interstate 10 West.  The Houston-Galveston Area Council estimates that traffic congestion costs the Houston area approximately $2 billion per year.

 

H.R. 673 keeps transportation projects rolling by keeping transportation projects from having to continue to submit to costly redundant conformity demonstrations.  Once a project is approved, it has the green light for progress until completion, not just completion of the segment that is currently being worked on.  H.R. 673 gets relief to congested highways and keeps Clean Air Standards in tact to ensure healthy communities.

 

"This legislation allows transportation projects – once they have proven to conform to tough federal clean air standards – to move forward without fear of holdups due to rule changes in the middle of the game," said Brady.

 

"Needless delays in replacing unsafe, obsolete roads and bridges claim 15,000 lives a year in America, and more than 1,200 lives here in Texas.  Our goal is to protect critical, long planned transportation improvements from being held hostage to arbitrary court rulings and frivolous environmental lawsuits", said Brady.   "The result will be safer roads sooner, as well as less pollution and better use of our precious highway tax dollars."

 

Brady is deeply involved in helping the Houston region successfully meet new air quality standards, and is the author of the Clean Air Investment Act that helps communities better afford expensive new pollution technology.