State of the Union – Will It Again Highlight Transportation?

The President talks transportation in the 2011 State of the Union speech. (Image: Whie House)

President Obama’s 2011 State of the Union had more references to transportation than the previous twenty State of the Union speeches.  It filled transportation interests and stakeholders with hope that the White House would lead the way to enacting a long-delayed surface transportation bill, and perhaps aviation and water resources legislation. As we know, that didn’t happen.  See our story “State of the Union Features Transportation” for the text of the President’s remarks. And this reaction: “US Chamber & AFL-CIO Praise Obama Focus on Transportation.”

That high-water mark probably sets us up for disappointment in Tuesday’s (Jan 24) State of the Union speech. It’s unlikely the President will match the number of transportation references in last year’s comments.  Let’s be happy if he mentions it, and keeps in the public conversation.

And is there anything the President could say or promise that would convince you that surface transportation, aviation and water resources bills will be enacted this year?  Of course it’s not all up to the President.  As we’ve seen nearly every four years for the past couple of decades, once the two Presidential nominees are official, Congress pretty much grinds to a halt.

The glimmer of hope? The President and Congressional leaders in both parties (not just transportation committee leaders) all say the right things about prioritizing the surface transportation and aviation bills to pass in 2012. (Sorry, ports and water-transportation stakeholders: we won’t see a Water Resources bill this year.)

Here’s one statement from 2011 that I’m pretty comfortable predicting WILL NOT be in the 2012 speech:

“Within 25 years our goal is to give 80 percent of Americans access to high-speed rail.” And, “We can break our dependence on oil with biofuels, and become the first country to have 1 million electric vehicles on the road by 2015.”

It will be interesting to see if high-speed rail receives one mention this year. If so it will be purely political – to illustrate the differences between the President and the Congressional Republicans.  Because that program will not be funded this year. (Though some funding may be allocated to passenger rail, just not new high speed rail.)

In fact, the President’s language on transportation has long since shifted pretty dramatically since the January 2011 speech. Alex Goldmark of Transportation Nation chronicles the shift in “From One State of the Union to the Next; A Shift from Building the New to Fixing the Old.” Goldmark comments:

“President Obama began 2011 arguing in lofty terms for building 21st century infrastructure. He ended it pleading for the maintenance of our 20th century roads and bridges.”

An amazing interactive chart lets us see how many times, by month, the President said the following words in 2011: Rail, Trains; Construction; Roads; Bridges; Highways; Airports; Transit; and Ports.

The biggest surprise for me was how little the President mentioned the word “transit.”  I was also surprised by the spike in late 2011 on the word “airports” but that’s probably because of the FAA shutdown, and legislative impasse between the Senate and House.  It also was an opportunity to position himself versus Congress.

Do you want the President to prioritize transportation legislation in 2012?  Here’s your chance, as the White House is asking for your input: “State of the Union 2012: We Want to Hear From You.”  From the WH release: