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DOT: Budget woes won’t slice into high-priority road projectsBy Rod Boshart nounced a two-year plan to restmcturtat ion Commission said Monday that priority ro;»d construction projects under way or being planned will proceed unimpeded, despite an unexpected drop in road use tax funds.DOT Commission Chairman Tom Aller of Cedar Rapids said this year’s projected WO million shortfall will not affect six major corridor projects including the U.S. 151 widening between Cedar Rapids and Dubuque and the Avenue of the Saints or plans to widen Interstate 235 through downtown Des Moines.However, other proposed highway improvements already programmed into the state De partment of Transportation's five-year plan could be delayed or deferred due to effects of a weak economy, he said. IYoj»cts most affected could be those slated for funding in the current plan's Litter years. The (six) priority corridors and 235 in Des Moines are off limits for any’ reductions. Aller said.However, beyond that there could be some fairly significant changes due to a slowing of revenues flowing into the state’s road use tax fund. DOT officials say the fund look in about WO million less than expected in tlscal 2000. and thev have scaled hark this vear's eviMvtcd collections by $20 million to $30 millionOn a $2.5 billion pLin, the gap grows to a very big number in year rive, he said.DOT staffers are in the process of formulating proposed revisions to the road construction timetable that will be submitted to the seven member commission for consideration this fall.In December we ll vote on the program, but my goal is to let the people of Iowa know where we are in October or Novemlier because there’s going to be a lot of city councils and county boards ot supei*visors that are going to have to adjust their plans, he said.DOT Director Mark Wandro recently annuuciiit: mu nine im11inns iiv tot 101layoffs and attrition. The DOT is also i maintenance garages, selling excess lt;hi111 and enlisting other cost-cutting measun DOT spokeswoman Dena (Irav-Fisher s restructuring has been the sublect of amisinformation, speculation and uncerttlorts to eliminate duplication and del ervices more efficiently without impacting ' menu ions.We just simply have to do something liecau we have less money, Aller said. This is t tu*st time m 20 vein's that we ve had hss moilactually k‘Ss motiev in I'ca! terms si) wi1 tic to do something, and the commission is fu supportive.The IX)T (Commission chair said his memlx an? not considering revenue-raising optioi such its highway tolls or a gas-tax hike, address the current financial pinch on tlie st« roau-use tax fund.Any proposed ch-uiges on the revenue si would have to come via Gov. Tom Vilsack the I legislature he said
Newspaper Details
Cedar Rapids Gazette
Cedar Rapids, Iowa, US
Tue, Aug 14, 2001
Page 11
Full Page
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IA, USA 21 May 2017
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