Blue-ribbon panel to release report on R.I. transportation funding

PROVIDENCE – A blue-ribbon panel created by Gov. Donald L. Carcieri to study transportation funding and infrastructure in the Ocean State announced last week that it has completed its “information gathering” phase and intends to release a report by the end of the year, according to the R.I. Department of Transportation.
The final element was an August 7 presentation by the R.I. Public Transit Authority, which currently has a $12.3 million projected deficit for the current fiscal year.
“RIPTA receives 7.25 cents per every gallon of gas sold. This must be included in the overall funding plan from transportation as the panel moves forward,” said R.I. Department of Administration
Director and panel Co-Chair Jerome F. Williams in a statement. “As fuel prices are on the rise, this is a great opportunity for mass transit. The services that RIPTA provides have a direct benefit to meeting the needs of our overall transportation system.”
The 12-member panel has been meeting bi-monthly and has a goal of developing “options on how to fund our aging infrastructure and provide enough revenue for a comprehensive transportation system,” according to the DOT.
The panel – consisting of public and private members – was formed during March to study the state’s needs during the next four to five years, according to Carcieri’s office.
“As is the case in states throughout our nation, Rhode Island’s transportation needs far outweigh available resources,” Carcieri said at the time. “With a projected deficit of the federal highway trust fund in 2009, there is a national concern that the federal government will reduce transportation funding to all states.”