legislation may give freight
seat at infrastructure table
For decades, freight interests have complained about having little or no voice in the nation’s infrastructure planning
process. If legislation introduced by Sen. Frank Lautenberg
(D-N.J.) ends up becoming law (or becomes part of another, larger bill), that may change.
The bill (S. 3629)—also known as the Focusing
Resources, Economic Investment and Guidance to Help
Freight advocates hailed the bill as the most far-reaching
attempt Congress had made to give freight a place at the
infrastructure table. “It’s the most broad-based policy I’ve
yet seen,” said Mortimer L. Downey, former deputy secretary of transportation under President Clinton and chairman of the Coalition for America’s Gateways and Trade
Corridors, a group of 40 organizations that have joined
forces to improve national freight efficiency.
“The legislation reflects much of what the Chamber has
been calling for—a national freight transportation program for identifying and funding federal, state, and metropolitan efforts to ensure adequate capacity, reduce congestion, and increase throughput,” said Janet L. Kavinoky,
who heads transportation infrastructure programs at the
U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the nation’s largest business
trade group.
The Lautenberg bill is silent on funding mechanisms to
support the freight-centric programs. The bill’s supporters,
which include a broad cross-section of transportation
interests, say they will work closely with the Senate Finance
Committee to develop appropriate funding tools.
Not everyone is pleased. The American Trucking
Associations (ATA) said it would oppose the legislation
because it does not go far enough to address the complex
needs of all freight interests.
go figure …
20%
The amount by which UPS aims to boost the fuel efficiency of its 60,000-vehicle U.S. ground fleet between
2000 and 2020.
SOURCE: UPS
ATA, which represents 37,000 members, said the bill
offers very little in the way of funding to improve the con-
dition of the nation’s highways. In a statement, ATA said
that under the legislation, highways, “which carry more
than 68 percent of the nation’s freight, would not be eligi-
ble for funding beyond very limited connectors to freight
terminals.”
ATA said the industry needs a “comprehensive approach
to improving freight transportation for all modes that will
move our economy forward. This bill does not meet that
need.”
—M.S.
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