About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline
LOG IN
LOG IN

32 St. & Loc. L. News 1 (2008-2009)

handle is hein.journals/stlolane32 and id is 1 raw text is: /M Section of State and Local Government Law LOCAL LAW The Section serves as a collegialforum for its members, the profession, and the public to provide leadership and educational resources in urban, state, and local government law andpolicy. Three Key Challenges That Offer States and Localities a New Opportunity for Smart Growth By Darren M Springer ver the past year, the headlines in newspapers and on television have been connecting the dots on three key challenges that taken together highlight the vital need for increased smart growth policies, planning, and develop- ment. Gas Prices Apply Brakes to Suburban Migration says the Washington Post. Housing Crisis Hits Exurbs Hard leads an article in the Christian Science Monitor. Funds for Highways Plummet as Drivers Cut Gasoline Use warns the Wall Street Journal. These three key and interlinked chal- lenges-rising fuel prices, the downturn in the housing mar- ket, and underinvestment in transportation--offer states and localities a unique opportunity to create less auto reliant and more livable and sustainable communities. Many have noted the individual effects of these three challenges. For example, high gasoline prices have reduced vehicle miles traveled (down 3.3 percent in the second quar- ter of 2008) and increased transit use (up 5.2 percent during second quarter 2008).1 The foreclosure crisis and the general downturn in the housing market has received significant at- tention from media and policymakers. Lastly, a number of experts, policymakers, and interest groups are calling atten- tion to the transportation infrastructure deficit between the amount we currently invest and the amount needed to en- hance our system and reduce congestion, which is projected to be $135 billion annually.2 Apart from their individual effects, however, these three Darren M. Springer is program direc- torfor Energy and Transportation, in the Environment, Energy &Natural Resources Division of the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices. The opinions expressed here- in are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the National Governors Association. challenges are all interlinked. High gas prices and congestion have severely affected the housing crisis in exurban areas, changing the previous dynamic ofdrive till you qualfy' where- by buyers attracted by the prospect of cheaper homes on larger lots were willing to make longer commutes from fast-growing exurban communities. Now it is the exurban markets where prices have fallen most, according to analysis by Fiserv Lending Solutions.' The desirability of moving to the urban edge has decreased as people realize that at $4 a gallon, long commutes on congested routes with no transit alternatives is not afford- able. Some half-finished and partially vacant exurban commu- nities wait for signs of an upturn to bring buyers. The linkages continue in that our ability to invest in trans- portation infrastructure is largely tied to motor fuel taxes, rev- enues from which account for 82 percent of all federal high- way and transit funding and 38 percent of all state highway and transit funding.4 It is the single largest source of funding for transportation, but its purchasing power is eroding. The federal gas tax has not been increased since 1993, and the cost for infrastructure construction between 1993 and 2015 is pro- jected to increase by 70 percent.5 While some states have continued on page 13 Chairs Message, page 2 Section News -Call for Jefferson Fordham Nominations, page 3 -2007-08 Student Excellence Awards, page 4 -Join a Committee Committee, page 5 -2009 Spring Meeting, St. Thomas, V.1., page 7 S & L Profile: An Interview with Past Section Chair and Section Delegate Sholem Friedman, page 8 Supreme Court Watch: District of Columbia v. Heller, page 10 Vol. 32, No. 1, Fall 2008

What Is HeinOnline?

HeinOnline is a subscription-based resource containing thousands of academic and legal journals from inception; complete coverage of government documents such as U.S. Statutes at Large, U.S. Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, U.S. Reports, and much more. Documents are image-based, fully searchable PDFs with the authority of print combined with the accessibility of a user-friendly and powerful database. For more information, request a quote or trial for your organization below.



Short-term subscription options include 24 hours, 48 hours, or 1 week to HeinOnline.

Purchase Access

Contact us for annual subscription options:

Contact Us

Already a HeinOnline Subscriber?

Log In

profiles profiles most