By Scott Wong | POLITICO
POLITICO recently caught up with U.S. Conference of Mayors President Scott Smith to discuss what mayors want in the next highway funding bill, his views on the government shutdown and what he thinks of Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx.
POLITICO: What is the biggest transportation priority right now for the Conference of Mayors? Where are you trying to make your impact felt?
Smith: We were pleased with [last year’s surface transportation bill] MAP-21 because we held serve. But one disappointment with MAP-21 was it was a two-year bill. Our preference is that we need a five-year bill. We really need the stability that comes with a five-year plan because you can’t plan a transportation project in two years. … I know some projects that were in the initial stages five years ago when I took over as mayor that we’re now just building. I think there is one thing mayors as a whole are concerned about and that is the seeming lack of commitment and excitement about long-term transportation and infrastructure investments.
