Re. Museums and the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act
(ISTEA). The following is list of some museums that have received ISTEA
grants directly in the past 6 years.
Institution
Alleghany County Planning and Zoning Commission MD 301-777-2199
Altoona RR Memorial Museum PA 8149460834 x224
Amelia County VA 804-561-3039
Arizona Railway Museum AZ 602-821-1108
B&O Railroad Museum MD 410-752-2392
Big Horn County Historical Museum MT 406-665-1671
C.M. Russell Museum MT 406-727-8787
Canal Place Preservation and Development Authority MD
301-759-6418
Cherokee County Historical Museum AL 205-927-7835
City Life Museums MD 410-396-9941
City of Dallas TX 214-744-1270
City of Mandan ND 701-667-3225
College Park Airport Museum MD 301-864-6029
Danville Dept. of Community Development VA 804-799-5261
Department of Transportation WV 304-558-3165
DeQunicy Railroad Museum LA 318-786-2823
Fairfax Museum & Visitor Center VA 703-385-8414
Fairfield Co. Museum SC
Forest Preserve District of Will Co. IL 815-727-8700
Frontier Museum ND 701-572-9751
Grafton Co. Senior Citizens Council, Inc. NH 603-448-4897
Hallockville Museum Farm NY 516-298-5292
Hawaii Maritime Center HI 808-523-6151
Hearne Heritage League TX 409-279-5959
Henry Ford Museum & Greenfield Village MI 313-271-1620
Hinckley Fire Museum MN 320-384-7338
Historic Pres. Div., GA Dept. of Nat. Resources Georgia 404-656-2840
Historical Society of Virginia City MT
Illinois Historic Preservation Agency IL 217-782-3056
John Lee & Associates KS 913-841-2026
Kansas Museum of History KS 913/272-8681
Lafayette Railroad Relocation Project IN 317-742-8438
McCreary Co. KY 606-376-2413
Missouri Historical Society
Morgan Square, Inc. TN 615-638-4181
Museums of Abilene TX 915-673-4582
N. Carolina Transportation Museum NC 704-552-1144
N.C. Historic Sites, Cultural Resources NC 919-733-7862
New Mexico Office of Cultural Affairs NM 505-827-6497
Newark Museum NJ 201-596-6550
North Carolina Transportation Museum NC 704-636-2889
Octave Chanute Aerospace Museum IL 2178931613
on behalf of Mystic Seaport, CT & Chicago Museum of Science & Industry
DC 202-544-7944
Patee House Museum MO 816-232-8206
Pembina State Museum ND 701-825-6840
Poplar Bluff Railroad Museum MO 573-785-4539
Port of San Francisco CA 415-274-0546
SE PA Transportation Authority PA 215-580-7647
Searcy County Museum AZ 501-448-5786
Strasburg Museum Depot Building VA 540-465-3175
SW Museum Community Center CA 213-221-2164
The Westmoreland Trust PA 412-836-1123
Virginia Museum of Transportation, Inc. VA 540-342-5670
Virginia Science Museum VA 804-367-6799
Wade House Stagecoach Inn & Wesley Jung Carriage WI
414-526-3271
Waukon Museum IO 3195683439
Wise County Heritage Museum TX 817-627-5586
This is by no means comprehensive. I'm also attaching an issue brief
that we've prepared for museums
The issue right now is this:
Museums benefit from the Enhancement provision in ISTEA. The major
point of contention in the reauthorizing process is not Enhancements but
rectifying the issue of donor/donee states. That is, some states
(mostly northeastern) receive more money than they put in at the expense
of other states. The chair of the House reauthorizing comm. has made it
clear that he wants this resolved. In a proposed bill put together by
the subcomm., Enhancement funds were not fully protected. The measure
allowed states to use up to 50% of the money designated for Enhancements
for other purposes such as road repair or construction. The
Administration's proposal, NEXTEA, does protect Enhancements. This
however, is just one of many reauthorization proposals. Things are
stalled with the August recess. We've been told that the committee has
put together a final bill but we have yet to see it. The issue will
almost definitely not be resolved by the end of September. It may come
down to a final-hour temporary settlement in December.
On the idea of Enhancements as "pork"- ISTEA was created to recognize
that transportation did not involve merely roads but an entire traveling
experience. Its intent was to shift the focus which had been entirely
on construction, to other modes of travel as well as "enhancing" the
typical auto-journey. Enhancements are a vital element of this
philosophy. For more on exactly how, please see the talking points on
the attachment.
We are working to see that museums interests are represented in the
reauthorization process. Any additional help is always more than
welcome. Please contact me at 202/218-7704 if you have any more
questions or would like to volunteer your letter-writing abilities.
Hope this is helpful.
Susan Coppa
[log in to unmask]
Assistant, AAM, Government & Public Affairs
Attachment:
ISTEA: Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act
BACKGROUND: In 1991 the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency
Act (ISTEA) was signed into law replacing the Federal Highway Program.
ISTEA was created with three goals in mind:
* projects must make communities more livable
* planners must accept responsibility for a project's unintended
impact on the American landscape
* projects should be developed and implemented in ways that
reflect broad community concerns
To those ends, the law mandated a 10% set-aside of each state's ISTEA
allocation to be used for Transportation Enhancement Activities (TEAs).
These projects are divided into ten categories which include
landscaping, rehabilitation of transportation facilities, and
restoration of historic sites related to transportation.
Over the past four years, more than 70 museums around the country have
benefited from TEA funds. Of the $3 billion set-aside, over $20 million
has been awarded directly to museums for projects deemed to improve
community life and strengthen the cultural, scenic, environmental,
historic and recreational aspects of transportation. This number does
not include projects such as the restoration of historic sites or
historic preservation that may not directly involve a museum; these
projects likely number at least 640 over the last six years.
CURRENT STATUS: ISTEA is set to expire in September of 1997. There are
three different schools of thought on reauthorization. Proponents of
the Streamlined Transportation Efficiency Program for the 21st Century
(STEP 21) hope to revise funding formulas to increase some states'
allocations from the Highway Trust Funds while also eliminating programs
that reserve funds for bridge repair, road maintenance and enhancement
projects. Others call for the return of virtually all gas-tax dollars
directly to the states which would mean the sacrifice of ISTEA and
enhancement programs along with it. In response, a coalition of 16
states has formed "ISTEA Works" endorsing the basic structure of ISTEA
and supporting existing distribution formulas. All three interests have
culminated in various bills in House and Senate subcommittees.
Congress should be made aware of the importance of the Enhancement
Funds. Museums and historical sites that have received grants in the
past should contact the Senators and Representatives of their state with
their success stories and ask for retention of the Enhancement funds in
upcoming ISTEA reauthorization.
TALKING POINTS
Enhancement Funds:
Aid travel and tourism. The travel and tourism industry generates $400
billion in economic activity each year and is the third highest employer
in the U.S. Enhancement funds restore historic sites which become
tourist destinations, and improve scenic roads and signage leading to
increased visitation and revenue.
Provide a manifold return on investment. The 10% set-aside represents
less than 2% of the ISTEA budget and yet is responsible for bike path
construction, acquisition and restoration of historic and scenic sites,
landscaping, and the provision of facilities for pedestrians and
bicycles. Projects protect the natural and historic appeal of scenic
highways as well as providing non-highway transportation alternatives.
Contribute to the preservation of historic sites and national heritage.
Over 70 museums and 600 historic sites that would have otherwise been
neglected have benefited from the Enhancement funds. Grants have
enabled transportation museums to restore original structures and
improve accessibility for persons with disabilities. Transportation
museums such as the Route 66 Museum in Oklahoma have preserved the
cultural legacy of our nation by illustrating the impact that the
automobile and highway system have had on the increasing mobility of
people and goods in the 20th century.
Increase the pleasure of the traveling experience. ISTEA was created
with the intent of recognizing that the traveling experience reaches
beyond highways and road conditions to encompass scenic byways and
overlooks, bike throughways and overhead walkways, and historic points
of interest. Museums and historic sites provide a necessary educational
and cultural component to the traveling experience.
Act as a catalyst for partnerships between local needs and national
goals. By providing resources and broad outlines but delegating the
administration of Enhancement Funds to the states, ISTEA ensures that
local and regional needs are addressed while national goals are
respected. The program requires that Enhancement grants be supplemented
by up to 30% at either the state or local level. The result is
increased community input and involvement in the decision-making
process.
Have tremendous public relations value. Enhancement projects generate
support for transportation from individuals and groups such as museum
boards or preservation coalitions not usually associated with
transportation, creating an expanded base of advocates.
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