TCI Regional Policy Design Stakeholder Submissions

Require that any community that receives federal subsidies for infrastructure improvements performs an audit on their systems and identifies components that provide a low rate of return. Those parts of the system that cost more to maintain than they generate in tax revenue need to have a plan for either a) generating new growth to pay for the infrastructure, or if and when that growth fails to materialize, b) abandoning or privatizing those segments that are too inefficient to pay for themselves.

Require communities and agencies receiving federal money for transportation improvements to perform the same analysis on their transportation systems. Prioritize funding based on the rate of return that infrastructure investment provides.
Invest only in the maintenance of existing infrastructure or in key improvements that can demonstrate a REAL return on the investment (not the imaginary cost/benefit analysis that engineers routinely do, but a financial analysis of the real improvement in property value). Let's not build anything new that we need to maintain but instead make better use of the immensity of what we have. I would target those areas that have the highest rate of return in the state and local analysis that have been performed.

Target whatever subsidies we are going to have for purchasing a home to those geographic growth areas that have been identified as having the highest rate of return. We should no longer subsidize inefficient development patterns that will cost us more money to sustain than they produce in return.

Put money into retrofitting communities to be self sufficient. This would mean transforming neighborhoods to be mixed-use with complex, urban streets. Roadways connecting neighborhoods would need to be simple and efficient, which would likely require the closing (purchasing) of accesses and reconfiguring intersections to be primarily roundabouts or secondly smart connected signals. In addition, grossly inefficient areas that have no realistic hope of generating a reasonable level of investment should be proactively abandoned or their infrastructure privatized.

Abandon "cap-and-trade" schemes. Instead, build a smart grid that would allow for "congestion-pricing" of energy demand. Sit back and watch the market create massive levels of efficiency.

Eliminate the gas tax and all vehicular Level of Service references within antiquated laws and manuals. To fund roadway improvements, adopt a tax on Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) and add congestion pricing tolls to our most congested highways. Sit back and watch the market create massive levels of efficiency.

Consider game-changing megaprojects, like Empire State train discussed earlier.

Put money in people, not infrastructure. It is small business filling needs in the market that will get us out of this long-term. There is no way to know what those needs are today - only innovators and entrepreneurs on the ground can figure that out. Small businesses do not require new infrastructure or massive investments in systems. If we are going to subsidize something, I would pay 75% of the salary of a new hire before I would extend unemployment benefits again.