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Legislature Gets Seats on MPO's

(JUNEAU)- The Legislature will have input in the transportation plans for large urban areas and how state funds are appropriated for those transportation needs are spent under a bill passed by the House today.

"Legislators have a direct link to the constituents and community councils where many of the needs are initiated, and therefore, should have more input on transportation planning committees such as the one in Anchorage," said Sen. Randy Phillips (R-Eagle River), sponsor of Senate Bill 88.

The bill requires metropolitan planning organizations for urban areas with more than 200,000 residents to include one state Senator and one state Representative from districts that fall at least halfway within the urban area. The Senate President and the Speaker of the House would appoint the two legislators, respectively.

The Anchorage Metropolitan Area Transportation Study (AMATS), a federally mandated system under which the state prioritizes funding for transportation construction and maintenance, will fall under the new statute created by this bill. The AMATS Policy Committee presently includes three people from the Municipality of Anchorage, the Mayor and two assembly members, and two from the governor's office, the Commissioners of the Department of Environmental Conservation and the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities.

The policy committee makes the final decisions on transportation projects in the Anchorage area. Although the Legislature is required to partially fund projects approved by the committee, it had no direct input in the decision making process. Two lawmakers will now be added to the voting members of the policy committee.

"The way the policy committee is set up right now, most of the people making decisions about Anchorage's transportation projects are not directly accountable to anyone," said Phillips. "Adding legislators to the committee will serve a dual purpose: adding accountability of elected officials and giving the Legislature some say in the projects it funds."

SB 88 passed the House with a vote of 22 - 17, and was sent to the governor for signature following the Senate's concurrence on changes made by the House.

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