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Today's News , 2003
• Roadway Slashes 2Q Outlook Mineta Unveils $247 billion SAFETEA Bill  Reprint permission
If it makes it through Congress, the Bush Administration's six-year $247 billion surface transportation highway reauthorization proposal -- The Safe, Accountable, Flexible and Efficient Transportation Equity Act of 2003, or "SAFETEA" - would be the largest investment in surface and public transportation in U.S. history. Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta said the proposal, unveiled at a May 14 press conference in Washington, D.C., would more than double funding for highway safety over levels provided by the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century while serving as a framework for investment needed to maintain and grow the nation's vital transportation infrastructure. "The proposal I have submitted to the Congress is more than a simple spending plan -- it is a key blueprint for investment," Mineta said. "SAFETEA, when enacted by the Congress, will help ensure transportation projects are completed on budget and on time, while protecting the environment. More importantly, this proposal will further the administration's commitment to dramatically reducing the number of highway injuries and fatalities." Mineta said SAFETEA would help modernize federal safety programs, create jobs and sustain economic growth, reduce congestion and minimize project delays, increase funding flexibility for states and localities, improve public transit efficiency and help protect the environment. Citing the unacceptable costs of highway fatalities and injuries -- 43,000 lives and $230.6 billion annually -- Mineta said that saving lives would be the No. 1 priority for DOT.
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