Skip to main content

Obama Administration urged to focus on real solutions to infrastructure funding

US trucking industry leaders have called on the Obama administration to focus on the real challenges and real solutions to the nation's infrastructure funding woes.
April 29, 2014 Read time: 2 mins
US trucking industry leaders have called on the Obama administration to focus on the real challenges and real solutions to the nation's infrastructure funding woes.

"We expect that in the coming days Secretary Foxx and the Obama administration will present their transportation reauthorisation plan to Congress," said 4626 American Trucking Association (ATA) president and CEO Bill Graves. "While this proposal will be lauded as a great step forward for transportation, that will only be true if the administration offers long-term solutions to our highway and bridge infrastructure shortcomings – and not yet another in a series of quick fixes."

ATA has repeatedly and consistently, called on Congress and the administration to keep the Highway Trust Fund solvent by using user fees to ensure consistent, long-term federal funding.

The ATA is concerned that if reports are correct that the administration's plan will centre on proceeds from the unlikely passage of corporate tax reform and increased use of inefficient tolling and private finance options. Graves said. "A strong, well-funded federal highway program is critical to our nation's economic success and another round of band-aids and hollow promises won't get it done."

ATA also hopes the administration's plan will focus what resources it does have on the right projects for the supply chain and the nation.

"It is critical that the administration's funding blueprint puts resources where they can do the most good," said ATA chairman Phil Byrd. "The administration should carve out a program to fund the needs of freight transportation that focuses on the mode that moves the most goods: trucks. This administration needs to make much needed investments in repairing our existing roads and bridges and looking for ways to add capacity to meet our growing needs."

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • New US fuel efficiency standards would cost over US$65 billion in lost revenue
    April 17, 2012
    Friday’s proposal by the Obama Administration to increase fuel efficiency standards for cars and light trucks to an average 54.5 miles per gallon (4.32 litres/100 km) between 2017 and 2025 would result in the loss of more than $65 billion in federal funding for state and local highway, bridge and transit improvements, an analysis by the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) shows.
  • Rural roads ‘critical to moving people and goods’
    June 25, 2015
    In his opening statement at the US Subcommittee on Highways and Transit Hearing on Meeting the Transportation Needs of Rural America, chairman Sam Graves said that even today, 71 per cent of all lane-miles of public roads and 73 per cent of all of the nation's bridges are located in rural areas. In his home state of Missouri, the role of rural roads is even more pronounced: 82 per cent of the public roads and 81 per cent of bridges are in rural areas, and these roads carry over 40 per cent of all travel in
  • US closer to finalising a new reauthorisation bill
    January 25, 2012
    Pete Goldin talks with ITS America about the continuing efforts of US Congress to finalise a transportation reauthorisation bill and how this will impact the ITS industry
  • IBTTA: use tolls to raise the grade
    March 10, 2021
    Sobering report on state of US roads suggests road user charging on horizon, IBTTA says