Mass Transit magazine features agency profiles, industry trends, management tips and new product information.
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64 | Mass Transit | MassTransitmag.com | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014 right now given the state of the economy and budgets contin- ue to be wiped out, so tax cred- its are really tough especially in budget years," Engle said there are less dif- fcult policy decisions to push forward policy for something like alternative fuels, such as HOV access for alternative fu- els for feets or downtown free parking for alternative fuel ve- hicles. It pushes the cause for- ward by incentivizing a switch to alternative fuel vehicles in a community while not adding costs to the government, "One of the questions we get from the more conser- vative sector is that if these alternative fuels are so great and save so much money, why incentivize them," En- gle said. "Well the answer is quite simple. It just depends on how fast or how quickly you want to achieve a goal and if you want to pass the nat- ural pace of adaption. If you look back at when they frst started putting out the electri- cal infrastructure, it would've happened at a much slower pace, so by incentivizing the use of al- ternative fuel it helps you get to the goal of emissions reducing. "If you don't incentivize them, yes, you'll get there, but it helps if you kickstart towards that goal." As 2015 deadlines for funding loom and the U.S. Department of Transporta- tion continues to push for ap- proval of the GROW AMERI- CA Act, the 2016 presidential race will ramp up coupled with the already stagnat- ed legislative process at the federal level. Janis said she knows working to get results through the current Congress is really difcult, but the ad- ministration continues to do a good job crafing a vision for future funding of trans- portation, but there are more ways outside groups can do their part to keep up support for transit funding. "I do think there are many, many smaller proposals that add up to a lot that we can get through the federal level, state level and municipal level," she said. "Te way we do it is by really investing the time and resources to build the support over time involving a broad base of people and using them to talk to the decision makers who will listen to what they have to say while also using external tactics, like going to the board meetings and press interviews, and always thinking about the message and how it's connecting the insider and the outsider. "If we really know our stuf and we're smart on how we fully research proposals, I think using that set strategy, that sort of tactic can work anywhere," she continued. "It's really about bringing that passion to the commu- nities and that broad base to- gether to work patiently and persistently to win." FROM FAR left: Stephanie Kozol, Holland & Knight; Robert Highsmith, Holland & Knight; Rep. Lynne Riley; Rep. Mike Jacobs; MARTA Board Member Fred Daniels; Gov. Nathan Deal (seated); Sen. Brandon Beach: MARTA Board Chairman Robert Ashe; Rhonda Briggins, MARTA's senior director of external affairs; Ryland McClendon, MARTA's assistant general manager, external affairs/government relations; Brad Alexander, McGuire Woods. For more information, visit www.MassTransitmag.com/10066741 MARTA POLITICAL RESULTS