3 burning questions about a proposed federal transportation funding bill.

The House Subcommittee on Transportation-Housing Appropriations has scheduled a meeting for Thursday (10am ET) to consider its draft transportation spending bill for fiscal year 2013 (October 2012 > September 2013).

The text should be released mid-Wednesday morning. There are three questions many stakeholders are eagerly awaiting an answer to:

1. The most anticipated question is, of course, what funding level will the subcommittee propose? Earlier this year the House passed a blueprint for the 2013 budget that cut transportation funding by about 36%.  Learn more from our story “House GOP Proposes 36 Percent Cut to Transportation Funding.” And the House may soon vote on a non-binding resolution that would have the same effect, limiting the transportation authorization bill to incoming Highway Trust Fund revenue. House to Vote on Recommending a 31 Percent Cut in Transportation Funding

2. Literally hundreds of communities want to know if the subcommittee will include funding for another TIGER program.  It is very unlikely, and TIGER proponents will have to hope the Senate will prevail.  Learn more about the Senate’s proposed 2013 transportation funding from our story, “2013 Federal Transportation Funding Approved by Senate Committee.”

3. Fewer in number but not in intensity, passenger rail advocates wait anxiously to learn how much – or little – funding will be allocated for its programs.  Here again, advocates are likely to be disappointed and have to rely on the Senate for hope.

Of course all of this is somewhat moot because most observers expect it will be November or December before a final 2013 spending bill will be enacted.  The elections outcome will determine in large part the outcome of the budget.

Learn more from our related stories:

6 Intriguing Elements of House Republican 2013 Budget – From the Opposition

Other Divided Congresses Passed a Budget, Why Not This One?

The 2013 budget debate may be setting the standard for crazy, according to Stan Collender.

White House’s Summary of USDOT 2013 Budget Proposal