Ehrlich on Washington column, June 7, 1998

( 1407 York Road, Suite 304 Lutherville, Maryland 2 1 093 Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. MEWS FROM Second Congressional District of Maryland 315 Cannon House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 1 EHRLICH ON WASHINGTON Week of June 7, 1998 By Congressman Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. HIGHWAY BILL WILL IMPROVE QUALITY OF TRANSPORTATION If you plan to travel this summer to the shores of Eastern Maryland, escape to the mountains of Western Maryland, catch a flight from BWI, or hop on the light rail to Camden Yards, your tax dollars will be hard at work making sure you reach your destination safely and efficiently. As we move into the 21st Century, my colleagues in the Maryland delegation and I have been working to provide additional resources needed to maintain and improve Maryland’s transportation system. In 1991, Congress passed and President Bush signed an historic transportation bill — the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA). This significant transportation and infrastructure law has greatly improved our nation’s highways, bridges, and roads. Additionally, ISTEA addressed the need for improving air quality and creating recreational trails for the walking and biking public. This law has served as an excellent example of federal and state partnerships allocating resources and improving the lives of all Americans. As funding authorization in the ISTEA law was set to expire, House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bud Shuster (R-PA) introduced H.R. 2400, the Building Efficient Surface Transportation and Equity Act (BESTEA), the next generation surface transportation bill. H.R. 2400 will reauthorize funding for highways and roads, and continue the important environmental and transit programs established by ISTEA. C