Financing Transportation in the 21st Century: An Intergovernmental Perspective

Although governments at all levels have become increasingly interdependent, limited opportunities exist for officials to meet and discuss common problems and potential solutions across the boundaries of the intergovernmental system. The Intergovernmental Forums, convened by the National Academy in concert with six national associations representing state and local officials, seek to fill that gap. The six participating organizations, in addition to the Academy, are: Council of State Governments, International City/County Managers Association, National Association of Counties, National Conference of State Legislatures, National Governors Association, and National League of Cities. The topic chosen for the Forum that produced this report was "Financing of the Nation’s Surface Transportation Programs." Chapter 1 of this report describes the roles and responsibilities of the many governments and other entities that support our nation’s highway and transit systems. Chapters 2 through 5 constitute the report of the Principals on surface transportation finance issues. The Principals’ recommendations are presented in Chapter 5. The views expressed and recommendations made in this report are those of the Principals—acting in their individual capacities, not as representatives of any organizations with which they are affiliated.