Changes

Barnhart served for nearly two years under Clements in the Texas DOT until Reagan offered him the directorship of the Federal Highway Administration in [[Washington, D.C.]] There Barnhart was known for his leadership, easy-going manner, and communication skills. In 1982, he fought to increase highway user fees for the first time in twenty-three years. He streamlined procedures, shortened delays, upheld the soundness of the Highway Trust Fund, and returned management authority to the states.<ref name=highway>{{cite web|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100528043701/http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/administrators/rbarnhart.htm|title=Ray A. Barnhart|publisher=Federal Highway Administration|date=July 3, 2003|accessdate=April 6, 2019}}</ref>

Barnhart served for nearly two years under Clements in the Texas DOT until Reagan offered him the directorship of the Federal Highway Administration in [[Washington, D.C.]] There Barnhart was known for his leadership, easy-going manner, and communication skills. In 1982, he fought to increase highway user fees for the first time in twenty-three years. He streamlined procedures, shortened delays, upheld the soundness of the Highway Trust Fund, and returned management authority to the states.<ref name=highway>{{cite web|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100528043701/http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/administrators/rbarnhart.htm|title=Ray A. Barnhart|publisher=Federal Highway Administration|date=July 3, 2003|accessdate=April 6, 2019}}</ref>

Barnhart worked to establish forty-two technology transfer centers at American colleges and universities and restructured and strengthened the motor carrier and international highway programs.<ref name=highway/> In his first meeting with Congress on February 25, 1981, Barnhart vowed to present the "best professional judgments of the experts in my administration, tempered, of course, by the economic restraints which must be applied to all of government."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://testimony.ost.dot.gov/test/pasttest/81test/Barnhart2.PDF|title=Statement of Ray A. Barnhart, Administrator, Federal Highway Administration|publisher=Testimony.ost.dot.gov|accessdate=March 9, 2010}}</ref>​

Barnhart worked to establish forty-two technology transfer centers at American colleges and universities and restructured and strengthened the motor carrier and international highway programs.<ref name=highway/> In his first meeting with Congress on February 25, 1981, Barnhart vowed to present the "best professional judgments of the experts in my administration, tempered, of course, by the economic restraints which must be applied to all of government."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://testimony.ost.dot.gov/test/pasttest/81test/Barnhart2.PDF|title=Statement of Ray A. Barnhart, Administrator, Federal Highway Administration|publisher=Testimony.ost.dot.gov|accessdate=March 9, 2010}}</ref>

 

In 2004, Barnhart was inducted into the Texas Transportation Institute Hall of Fame. On leaving the FHWA, he had been recognized by the [[United States House of Representatives]] for his "honest, effective and meaningful efforts to preserve and improve the Federal-Aid [Highway] System – one of the nation's most vital assets."<ref name=honor/>​

In 2004, Barnhart was inducted into the Texas Transportation Institute Hall of Fame. On leaving the FHWA, he had been recognized by the [[United States House of Representatives]] for his "honest, effective and meaningful efforts to preserve and improve the Federal-Aid [Highway] System – one of the nation's most vital assets."<ref name=honor/>​

 

Years after leaving the position, Barnhart described the agency during his tenure as "a strictly professional, competent, caring agency."  His resignation from the highway administration involved the supervision of 3,400 employees, took effect on December 31, 1987. Barnhart was briefly considered for the position of United States Secretary of Transportation to succeed [[Elizabeth Dole]]. However, the appointment went instead to James H. Burnley, IV, of [[North Carolina]].<ref>"Highway Agency Chief to Resign." ''[[The Washington Post]]'', October 20, 1987.</ref>​

Years after leaving the position, Barnhart described the agency during his tenure as "a strictly professional, competent, caring agency."  His resignation from the highway administration involved the supervision of 3,400 employees, took effect on December 31, 1987. Barnhart was briefly considered for the position of United States Secretary of Transportation to succeed [[Elizabeth Dole]]. However, the appointment went instead to James H. Burnley, IV, of [[North Carolina]].<ref>"Highway Agency Chief to Resign." ''[[The Washington Post]]'', October 20, 1987.</ref>​

 

Barnhart claims that the agency lost its professionalism and became "politically oriented" during the administration of President [[Bill Clinton]],<ref name=statement/> whom Barnhart opposed in 1992 and 1996 when he supported [[George Herbert Walker Bush]] and [[Robert J. Dole]] for the presidency. Similarly, Barnhart said that  [[Ann Richards]], Clements' second successor as governor, "wiped out the career people and put in political appointees" at the Texas DOT.<ref name=statement/>​

Barnhart claims that the agency lost its professionalism and became "politically oriented" during the administration of President [[Bill Clinton]],<ref name=statement/> whom Barnhart opposed in 1992 and 1996 when he supported [[George Herbert Walker Bush]] and [[Robert J. Dole]] for the presidency. Similarly, Barnhart said that  [[Ann Richards]], Clements' second successor as governor, "wiped out the career people and put in political appointees" at the Texas DOT.<ref name=statement/>​

 

Barnhart's seven-year tenure as FHWA director is still an agency record for longevity. Under the "New Federalism" proposals offered in 1982, Reagan sought to return many federal highway and mass transit programs to the states except for the interstate highway system. However, the Surface Transportation Assistance Act continued strong federal involvement in both highways and mass transit. Because of infrastructure needs, the law increased the gasoline tax by a nickel, the first such increase since 1959.<ref name=staa>{{cite web|url=http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/infrastructure/reagan.cfm|author=Richard Weingroff |title=In Memory of President Reagan|date=December 23, 2008|publisher=Federal Highway Administration|accessdate=February 1, 2010}}</ref>​

Barnhart's seven-year tenure as FHWA director is still an agency record for longevity. Under the "New Federalism" proposals offered in 1982, Reagan sought to return many federal highway and mass transit programs to the states except for the interstate highway system. However, the Surface Transportation Assistance Act continued strong federal involvement in both highways and mass transit. Because of infrastructure needs, the law increased the gasoline tax by a nickel, the first such increase since 1959.<ref name=staa>{{cite web|url=http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/infrastructure/reagan.cfm|author=Richard Weingroff |title=In Memory of President Reagan|date=December 23, 2008|publisher=Federal Highway Administration|accessdate=February 1, 2010}}</ref>​

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On January 6, 1983, Reagan signed the Surface Transportation Assistance Act so that the United States could improve its paving and bridge commitments by the middle of the decade. The legislation devoted one cent (later doubled) of each nickel to establish a transit account in the Highway Trust Fund.<ref name=staa/>​

On January 6, 1983, Reagan signed the Surface Transportation Assistance Act so that the United States could improve its paving and bridge commitments by the middle of the decade. The legislation devoted one cent (later doubled) of each nickel to establish a transit account in the Highway Trust Fund.<ref name=staa/>​

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Despite the need for highway improvements and increasing fuel prices of recent years, Texas has not raised its 20-cent-per-gallon gasoline tax since the early 1990s, and the diesel tax has been unchanged even longer. In 2008, Barnhart said that only twenty-three states had increased the fuel tax. In a letter to Democratic state Senator Kirk Watson of [[Austin]], Barnhart said that the legislature, not the Texas Department of Transportation, is responsible for problems involving highways. "If the legislature had acted when I warned them fifteen years ago, Texas highway problems wouldn't be as critical as they are today. They [legislators] didn't have the guts to deal with the big truck lobby," Barnhart said in an interview. Barnhart said that 18 wheelers and other large trucks place excessive strain on state highways, but the legislature has not increased the diesel tax to maintain the transportation network. A $5 billion bond package Texas voters approved in November [2007] won't be enough to alleviate some of those problems because the state needs much more than that amount just to maintain its highway system.<ref name=txdot>{{Cite web|url=http://www.lubbockonline.com/stories/021808/loc_248117883.shtml|author=Enrique Rangel|title=TxDOT traveling bumpy road|date=February 18, 2008|publisher=''Lubbock Avalanche-Journal''|accessdate=February 1, 2010}}</ref>​

Despite the need for highway improvements and increasing fuel prices of recent years, Texas has not raised its 20-cent-per-gallon gasoline tax since the early 1990s, and the diesel tax has been unchanged even longer. In 2008, Barnhart said that only twenty-three states had increased the fuel tax. In a letter to Democratic state Senator Kirk Watson of the capital city of [[Austin]], Barnhart said that the legislature, not the Texas Department of Transportation, is responsible for problems involving highways. "If the legislature had acted when I warned them fifteen years ago, Texas highway problems wouldn't be as critical as they are today. They [legislators] didn't have the guts to deal with the big truck lobby," Barnhart said in an interview. Barnhart said that 18 wheelers and other large trucks place excessive strain on state highways, but the legislature has not increased the diesel tax to maintain the transportation network. A $5 billion bond package Texas voters approved in November [2007] won't be enough to alleviate some of those problems because the state needs much more than that amount just to maintain its highway system.<ref name=txdot>{{cite web|url=http://www.lubbockonline.com/stories/021808/loc_248117883.shtml|author=Enrique Rangel|title=TxDOT traveling bumpy road|date=February 18, 2008|publisher=''Lubbock Avalanche-Journal''|accessdate=February 1, 2010}}</ref

 

Republican former state Representative Carl Isett, a Republican from [[Lubbock]], said that Barnhart made some valid points in his assessment but is too prone to blame the legislators for financial woes of TxDOT: "It's a combination of those factors. We have not given them everything they wanted but we have given them a lot. We try to fund more money for roads but a lot of that money comes from the feds." Isett said that critics blame the legislature "every time something goes wrong."<ref name=txdot/>

Republican former state Representative Carl Isett, a Republican from [[Lubbock]], said that Barnhart made some valid points in his assessment but is too prone to blame the legislators for financial woes of TxDOT: "It's a combination of those factors. We have not given them everything they wanted but we have given them a lot. We try to fund more money for roads but a lot of that money comes from the feds." Isett said that critics blame the legislature "every time something goes wrong."<ref name=txdot/>