Two and half years after the expiration of SAFETEA-LU, its successor legislation, MAP-21 is finally being considered by both the House and Senate. The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee reported their legislation (S 1813) in November 2011 just prior to the end of the congressional session. This Senate bill is a two-year extension, breaking the convention of 5-6 year transportation reauthorization bills. What is unsaid is the reasoning behind the Senate decision to go with short-term legislation. It's all about how the bill will be paid for—the problem which has held up enactment of new legislation since SAFETEA-LU expired at the end of 2009. Senator Jeff Merkley is proposing an amendment that would close the “segmentation” loophole that has crippled the San Francisco – Oakland Bay Bridge project. ...