More than two years after SAFETEA-LU became law, Congress has passed a measure making “technical corrections” to the voluminous highway-and-transit statute. The bill, which gained final congressional approval on April 30, would clear the way for scores of projects stalled because of incorrect locations, route numbers or other mistakes in SAFETEA-LU. The White House voiced strong opposition to the corrections bill but stopped short of threatening a veto. The bill’s 358-51 House margin and 88-2 Senate vote look veto-proof.
The bill makes changes in more than 400 projects authorized in SAFETEA-LU, the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: a Legacy for Users. Some changes address “inadvertent drafting errors,” says House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman James Oberstar (D-Minn.). But the bill also boosts funds for some SAFETEA-LU projects and deletes authorizations for others.