PARKING The Chamber supports continued construction of additional parking and viable park and ride locations, as appropriate on a case-by-case basis, to allow continued economic development downtown. ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION The Chamber will support the following (sidewalks; BRT; bike lanes; bus service; crosswalks; streetcar) provided appropriate consideration is given to negative traffic impacts and the use of scarce taxpayer resources. We further encourage a balanced, realistic, and thoughtful approach to the prioritization of Oklahoma City transportation needs.
NATIONAL AIR QUALITY STANDARDS Ground-level ozone and PM 2.5 concentrations in the OKC area have been high, and the region runs a significant risk of violating federal air quality standards (National Ambient Air Quality Standards – NAAQS). Therefore, the Chamber supports maintaining NAAQS at their current level and will oppose any efforts to make them more stringent, which could result in severe negative economic impacts in our region. NATIONAL ELECTRIC VEHICLE INFRASTRUCTURE FORMULA PROGRAM (NEVI) The Chamber supports ODOT’s efforts to enhance Oklahoma’s existing EV charging network through partnerships with local stakeholders and the private sector. WATERS OF THE UNITED STATES The Chamber supports the May 2023 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Sackett vs. EPA which limited the scope of the proposed expansive federal “Waters of the United States” (WOTUS) rule to streams, oceans, rivers, lakes, and the wetlands that are virtually indistinguishable from them. Therefore, the Chamber opposes renewed efforts by the EPA to vaguely define the WOTUS rule in ways that are not traditionally regulated under the Clean Water Act. Such an overly broad definition of navigable waters poses serious economic and regulatory complications for: providing the materials needed to build and modernize our country’s infrastructure in an environmentally friendly manner; uses of water in energy exploration; a wide range of agricultural activities; and many other negative impacts. FREIGHT RAIL REGULATION The Chamber opposes any effort by the Surface Transportation Board (STB) to impose additional economic or operational regulation on freight rail operators.
FEDERAL ISSUES
SURFACE TRANSPORTATION FUNDING The Chamber ultimately supports adequate funding for annual reauthorization of the federal surface transportation program, with continuation of a responsible formula allocation to the states. The Chamber will work with the Oklahoma congressional delegation and ODOT to secure a permanent funding solution for the Federal Highway Trust Fund (including mass transit programs).
The Chamber supports adequate funding levels to properly maintain the national transportation system.
FEDERAL CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT GRANTS The Chamber supports continued funding for the following federal grant programs, including, but not limited to, BIP, MEGA, SMALL STARTS, NEW STARTS, INFRA, RAISE, bus, and bus facilities grants. MIKE MONRONEY CENTER (FAA)/ASSOCIATED FEDERAL AGENCIES The Chamber supports the continued viability of the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center as a strategically important national asset for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and further supports the continuation of its other essential federal government activities in the state. CLEAN AIR NONATTAINMENT The Chamber will work with the Oklahoma congressional delegation, ODOT, ACOG, the City of Oklahoma City, the private sector and additional partners to take necessary proactive steps to ensure the Greater Oklahoma City region is not designated as being in nonattainment of federal air quality standards.
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