Detailed Summary

Saving Energy Through Public Transportation Act of 2008 - (Sec. 3) Authorizes appropriations for each of FY2008-FY2009 for public transportation formula grants for urbanized areas and for other areas. Authorizes the Secretary of Transportation to make such grants for: (1) operating costs of equipment and facilities being used to provide the public transportation or intercity bus service that the grant recipient is no longer able to pay as a result of reducing fares; (2) operating and capital costs of equipment and facilities being used to provide transportation services or intercity bus service that the recipient incurs as a result of expanding such services; (3) the avoidance of increased fares for public transportation or intercity bus service or decreased services; (4) the costs of acquiring clean fuel or alternative fuel vehicle-related equipment or facilities for the purpose of improving fuel efficiency; and (5) administrative costs in establishing or expanding commuter matching services to provide commuters with information and assistance about alternatives to single occupancy vehicle use. Requires the federal share of the costs for which such grants are made to be 100%.

(Sec. 4) Requires a grant for FY2008-FY2009 that involves acquiring clean fuel or alternative fuel vehicle-related equipment or facilities for the purposes of complying with the Clean Air Act to be for 100% of the net project cost of the equipment or facilities unless the grant recipient requests a lower percentage.

(Sec. 5) Amends the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users to require federal employees in urbanized areas of the United States that are served by fixed route public transportation to be offered transit pass transportation fringe benefits. Limits such benefits to the maximum amount that may be excluded from gross income for qualified parking for a month under the Internal Revenue Code. Requires: (1) the Secretary to issue guidance on nationwide implementation of a transportation fringe benefit program; (2) such guidance to contain a uniform administrative policy on enforcement and penalties; and (3) agencies to report to the Secretary on their implementation of the program no later than September 1 after this Act's enactment and every there years thereafter.

(Sec. 6) Requires the Secretary to establish a pilot program to carry out vanpool demonstration projects in not more than three urbanized areas and not more than two other areas. Requires the Secretary to allow the nonfederal share provided by a recieipient of assistance for a capital matching project to include the amount expended by private providers of public transportation by vanpool for the acquisition of vans to be used in the recipient's service area. Authorizes the Secretary to approve an application for a vanpool demonstration project for FY2008-FY2009. Requires the Secretary to report to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs on the costs, benefits, and efficiencies of the vanpool demonstration projects.

(Sec. 7) Requires a grant for a capital project during FY2008-FY2009 that involves the acquisition of real property for, or the design, engineering, or construction of, additional parking facilities at an end-of-line fixed guideway station or at a park-and-ride lot that serves a fixed route commuter bus route that is more than 20 miles in length to be for 100% of the net capital cost of the project unless the grant recipient requests a lower percentage.

(Sec. 8) Requires the Secretary of Transportation to carry out a national consumer awareness program to educate the public on the environmental, energy, and economic benefits of public transportation alternatives to the use of single occupancy vehicles. Authorizes appropriations for FY2009.

(Sec. 9) Amends the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to set forth an exception to prohibition against federal procurement of an alternative or synthetic fuel for any mobility-related use unless the lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions associated with it are less than or equal to the emissions from equivalent conventional fuel. Allows a federal agency to enter into a contract to purchase a generally available fuel that is not an alternative or synthetic fuel or a fuel predominantly produced from a nonconventional petroleum source if: (1) the contract does not specifically require the contractor to provide such an alternative, synthetic, or nonconventional fuel; (2) the purpose of the contract is not to obtain such a fuel; and (3) the contract does not provide incentives for a refinery upgrade or expansion to allow a refinery to use or increase its use of fuel from a nonconventional petroleum source.

Status of the Legislation

Latest Major Action: 6/27/2008: Referred to Senate committee. Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.

Points in Favor

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Points Against

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