Bush budgets $50 billion for transport programs

Bush budgets $50 billion for transport programs    President Bush’s fiscal 2007 budget, which was made public Monday, includes $65.6 billion for the Department of Transportation, $50 billion of which is for highway, transit and safety programs, $3.3 billion more than in 2006.
   The funding level matches goals set out in the multiyear highway spending blueprint approved by Congress last August.
   New financing approaches proposed in the budget request to Congress include $100 million for a pilot program to test alternatives to the gasoline tax, such as tolls and fees, to pay for highway construction and manage demand at peak travel periods.
   “There is growing consensus that traditional gasoline taxes and airline ticket taxes are not adequate to the task of supporting 21st century transportation needs,” said Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta in a statement.
   The DOT budget request includes $13.7 billion for the Federal Aviation Administration, including $8.4 billion to help pay for 194 inspectors and other safety personnel and 1,136 new air traffic controllers to offset retirements expected in 2007. It also provides $2.8 billion for the Airport Improvement Program to construct new runways and $122 million for the Next Generation Air Transportation System
   The department also seeks permission for new ways to fill the Aviation Trust Fund, such as allocating fees based on the cost of services rather than percentage of the ticket price.
   The DOT said the budget would also fully fund the Maritime Security Program, which ensures the Defense Department access to military-capable commercial vessels.