All US government executive departments and agencies, excepting those that must remain open for reasons of national security, defense, or other public need, will be closed next Thursday, January 9, pursuant to a proclamation issued by President Biden. The state funeral for former president Jimmy Carter will be conducted on that day, and the closing is a mark of respect for Mr. Carter’s life and service to the nation.
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West Virginia Turnpike Opens Renovated Beckley Service Area
CDLLife reports, the upgraded facility includes 35 additional truck parking spaces, bringing the total to 165. It also features separate fueling for passenger vehicles and tractor-trailers, as well as electric vehicle (EV) charging stations and expanded restrooms. The $152 million project to replace both the Beckley and Bluestone plazas started in 2023. Bluestone is expected to reopen in mid-January.
MetroNews reports, the new service area opened last weekend but state officials held an opening ceremony on Monday. Governor Jim Justice (R), soon to be a member of the US Senate, was in attendance. He called the facility a much-needed “marketing tool” in which state residents can take pride.
New York Thruway Service Area Redevelopment Program Will Reach Completion This Year
The Citizen reports, Empire State Thruway Partners, the consortium led by Applegreen LTD, is nearing the end of the effort it launched in 2021 to rebuild or renovate all 27 service areas on the New York State Thruway. To date, 24 modernized facilities are in operation. The company will reopen the Angola and Mohawk service areas in this year’s first quarter, while it expects to complete the final area, Modena, toward the end of this year.
The article notes that the project “got off to a slow start” due to the COVID-19 pandemic and supply chain issues. Empire State’s privately funded, $450 million undertaking includes a 33-year concession to operate the facilities, 23 of which will have been completely rebuilt.
Oklahoma Lawmakers See No Immediate Need To Plan Fuel Tax Replacement
Oklahoma Voice reports, Oklahoma lawmakers’ flirtation with the idea of creating a voluntary mileage-based road-use charge program is over.
In 2021, state legislation (HB 1712) mandated creation of an Oklahoma Road User Charge Program and set up a task force to study transportation funding alternatives to address the decline in fuel tax revenues. The study yielded a report but no further action. A sponsor of the legislation, Representative Brian Hill (R-47), now tells Oklahoma Voice, “I don’t foresee Oklahoma implementing a pay-per-mile program in the near future.” Hill says legislation imposing a fee on EV charging and the registration of electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids dealt with immediate concerns about transportation funding.
The article notes that Oklahoma’s current rate of motor vehicle fuel taxation — 19 cents per gallon — is among the lowest in the US.
New York State Lawmakers Reject MTA’s Five-Year Capital Program Plan
Gothamist reports, on Christmas Eve, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) was notified that New York State legislative leaders rejected the agency’s proposed five-year (2025-2029) capital plan. The notice came one day before the $65-billion-plus plan proposed by MTA directors last September would have lapsed into approval under state law. The decision likely interrupts MTA’s implementation of crucial repair and restoration projects and introduces new uncertainty into the authority’s financial future.
“The lawmakers cited a hefty funding gap as the reason for the rejection.” They added that they plan to negotiate over MTA funding as part of the 2025 state budget process. The authority has the right to respond to the legislature within 10 days. If its response doesn’t convince lawmakers to withdraw the rejection, MTA management must submit a new plan.
In a statement on the rejection issued by her office, Governor Kathy Hochul (D) said she expects the legislature to identify revenue streams that will eliminate the capital funding shortfall or recommend a reprioritization of crucial infrastructure upgrade projects.