ATA Says Infrastructure Investment Will Improve U.S. Competitiveness
An American Trucking Associations official told a congressional panel that investment in the U.S. highway system will help the country’s economic and global competitiveness.
“The United States has been living off the transportation infrastructure built by past generations,” ATA Senior Vice President Tim Lynch told the House Appropriations Committee’s transportation subcommittee.
“Our failure to keep up with the demands imposed on these systems by population and economic growth has weakened the nation’s competitive position relative to other countries,” he said.
Lynch said the country can no longer afford to spend limited federal resources on projects that do not meet important national goals and that aging infrastructure is in desperate need of repair and expansion.
“Failing to address growing congestion problems will cause costs to rise, translating into higher consumer prices and slower job growth, weakening the United States' ability to compete in the global economy,” he said.
The U.S. has the most restrictive truck weight regulations of any developed country, Lynch said, adding that easing weight limitations would deliver economic, environmental and safety benefits.
He urged Congress to reform laws to allow states greater flexibility to change their size and weight regulations with oversight by the Federal Highway Administration.
