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

  • America explores road user charging options
    November 14, 2017
    Jack Opiola casts an eye over the numerous road user charging pilots underway in the US. In the USA, congestion mitigation and improving mobility have often focused on network improvements, increased road capacity, improved public transport, high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes or ‘express lanes’ and ITS measures – all of which require political capital and major funding. Nowadays, political capital is as hard to obtain as funding because more political leaders are recognising the decline of fuel excise tax
  • America explores road user charging options
    November 27, 2017
    Jack Opiola casts an eye over the numerous road user charging pilots underway in the US. In the USA, congestion mitigation and improving mobility have often focused on network improvements, increased road capacity, improved public transport, high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes or ‘express lanes’ and ITS measures – all of which require political capital and major funding. Nowadays, political capital is as hard to obtain as funding because more political leaders are recognising the decline of fuel excise tax in
  • Tolling systems - interoperability is key
    January 25, 2012
    Is US tolling as fragmented and divided as some would have you believe? And are the technology suppliers so very entrenched? ITS International spoke to the market's leading suppliers. A few years back, the prevalent view was that the North American tolling market was characterised by fragmented, proprietary solutions, each existing in splendid isolation. The reality is that a combination of pragmatism and good old market forces have seen some concerted moves made towards interoperability in many areas.
  • USDOT to fund transit improvements across the country
    September 17, 2015
    The US Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) today announced that 21 organisations around the country will receive a share of US$19.5 million in grants to support comprehensive planning projects that improve access to public transit. The funds are made available through FTA’s Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Planning Pilot Program for communities that are developing new or improved mass transit systems.