This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Washington • More than 8,900 Utahns could lose their jobs, scores of highway and transit projects could be halted, and fares could rise for TRAX trains and buses if Congress is unable to renew a now-stalled transportation spending bill.
Congress has until the end of the month to pass a new extension of the Surface Transportation bill, which divvies up federal gas taxes to local jurisdictions, but administration officials are concerned partisan fighting could end in a permanent roadblock for the legislation.
"The stakes couldn't be higher," Deputy Transportation Secretary John Porcari said during a conference call Tuesday. "What it means in practical terms is that the states and cities do not have the ability to keep doing this on their own for any length of time. If we don't have a clean extension of the Surface Transportation bill, we simply will not be able to reimburse the states and in turn, they'll be issuing stop-work orders to their contractors."
Nationally, the White House estimates that 847,000 jobs could be on the line without an extension of the funding bill and about 140,000 projects could grind to a halt.
In Utah, the administration says, 8,910 people could be out of work and 787 highway projects and 41 transit projects could come to a standstill.
The loss of jobs would hurt at a time of high unemployment — with a national jobless rate of 9.1 percent and state rate of 7.5 percent — which translates to about 100,000 people without jobs.
For the Utah Transit Authority, failure to pass the legislation could mean the loss of tens of millions of dollars as well.
UTA is awaiting $130 million in federal reimbursements for two projects — the TRAX Mid-Jordan extension as well as the FrontRunner commuter rail line between Salt Lake City and Ogden — and that's in addition to about $50 million in expected annual funding, which helps supplement the agency's bottom line.
UTA spokesman Gerry Carpenter says he's "absolutely" concerned about whether the bill will be passed before it expires at the end of the month.
"It's not clear to us yet what would happen," he said.
Carlos Braceras, deputy director of the Utah Department of Transportation, isn't sure where the White House came up with its numbers, but he estimates there are just under 200 projects now under construction that could be affected by a lapse in funding.
UDOT is moving into a critical time of finishing up road construction before the winter hits the state, leaving a short window to pave and finalize projects.
"We could survive a couple weeks if they shut down, but it would be tough," Braceras says. "It would be difficult to continue on much past that."
For planning purposes, the deputy director says, it would be optimal if Congress could pass a highway funding bill that extends for five to six years, as the body used to do. Failing that, Braceras says, at least getting the agencies through the fiscal year would keep projects rolling and workers paid.
Rep. John Mica, a Florida Republican who chairs the House Transportation Committee, said previously he is committed to working with President Barack Obama and Democrats to get a measure passed, but also criticized Democrats for neglecting aviation legislation and leaving transportation "in the ditch" for more than a year.
"Republicans have offered positive and financially responsible alternatives to get these measures moving," Mica said.
Congress is returning to session this week, although it's unclear when action on a transportation bill might take place.