John D. Porcari, Secretary, Maryland Department of Transportation
Biography provided by participant
John D. Porcari oversees the Maryland Department of Transportation, which encompasses five modal administrations that include highways, transit, aviation, maritime and motor vehicles.
As Secretary, he also is Chairman of the Maryland Transportation Authority that is responsible for the state's toll facilities. He is in his second term as Secretary, having previously served in this capacity from 1999 to 2002. Prior to his appointment as Secretary in January 2007, he served as Vice President for Administrative Affairs at the University of Maryland, College Park.
He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Dayton, Ohio, in 1981 and his Master of Public Administration from the State University of New York at Albany in 1985. He also works on national transportation issues as a Board Member of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.
The best way to move both quickly and wisely on economic recovery projects is to make system preservation the priority for at least the first wave of projects. These "fix it first" projects on our transit, highway, rail, port and aviation systems show that we have our priorities right. Most jurisdictions have an ample backlog of these projects that are ready to go-- and were put on the shelf by the national recession. Conversely, anyone that does not have a long list of planned, designed and permitted repair and reconstruction projects is revealing more about their priorities than they… Read more
Has the time come to devote significantly more funding to mass transit? An emphatic YES! Should it alter the current balance between federal funding for highways and transit? Let the states and metro areas decide. What works for Maryland is not likely to work for Montana. For states with congested urban areas, transit is literally the only way to add significant new capacity. It's also an important part of any climate change action plan, and provides an excellent opportunity to tie together land use planning and transportation through transit-oriented development. We have to start by leveling the playing field. While we get… Read more
For an economic recovery plan to be effecitive, it must move quickly to first preserve the jobs that remain, and hopefully create more jobs. This argues for two approaches: 1) Utilize existing federal programs and formulas, and; 2) focus on system preservation projects. The existing federal programs and formulas are well known and understood (though not necessarily fair to those of us that are "donor" states). Getting projects out the door is the highest priority, and this is the fastest way to do it. And focusing on system preservation-- "fix it first"-- is the right priority, and avoids… Read more
1. Dramatically increase federal investment in transportation-- so we don't have to apologize to our children and grandchildren. 2. Collapse the myriad federal funding categories into a handful of broad policy areas. 3. As part of #2 above, develop national policies for moving people and goods. For example, in Maryland we can get up to 90% federal money for airport improvements for regional aviation service from Baltimore to New York City, 80% federal money for highway improvements between the two cities, and zero federal formula monies for high speed rail service between the two cities. Guess which one makes the… Read more
Biography provided by participant
