LaHood: 'New transportation era' begins Monday with highway bill implementation

By Keith Laing - 09/27/12 12:03 PM ET

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said Thursday a "new transportation era" will begin next week with the implementation of the $105 billion transportation bill that was passed by lawmakers earlier this year.

LaHood said in a blog post on the Department of Transportation's website that the DOT was gearing up because many of the provisions in the new law, which became the first new road and transit spending approved by lawmakers since 2005 in June, are scheduled to take effect on Monday.

LaHood said the provisions that begin on Oct. 1 will "really change the transportation status quo."

"This Monday, October 1st, those changes go into effect, and we are working hard to make sure our state and local transportation partners are aware of the changes and are ready to join us in hitting the ground running," LaHood wrote.

LaHood touted changes getting ready to take place to the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) loan program, as well as the National Highway Performance Program, the Surface Transportation Program and the Highway Safety Improvement Program.

Among the many moving parts of the transportation bill, which was dubbed Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21), was an increasing in funding for the TIFIA program and a provision allowing the loans to be used for almost half the construction of new transportation projects.

LaHood said DOT was providing documents this week to "clarify MAP-21’s innovative project delivery methods and important changes to funding programs."

"Additional information addresses the many changes in the new law from MAP-21’s predecessor," he added in a reference to the 2005 Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) bill, which expired in 2009 and was temporarily extended until 2012.

There hasn't been much talk about the forthcoming highway bill in political campaigns this year, though one incumbent running for reelection, Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown (R) has touted his vote for the measure.