Editorial: Is the Ice Cracking?

Whether the ice is cracking is a strange question for mid-February, certainly, but in this case we’re talking about the ongoing impasse concerning a multiyear, federal surface transportation plan.

There’s long been a desire in Washington to implement such a plan, but both Democrats and Republicans have avoided the necessary specifics, chiefly, how to pay for a plan.

Earlier this month, the Obama administration released an outline of its updated “Grow America Act,” a six-year, $478.3 billion spending framework.

Even though the funding details were extremely light, Republican congressional leaders pounced on the proposal and declared it a nonstarter.

The full, formal version of the proposal has not been issued yet, but there is no reason to believe it will be adopted anywhere close to its entirety.

However, events from last week show it well could be a useful vehicle for necessary discussions, as tracking and tracing Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx’s actions help demonstrate. Upon his return from meeting with Google executives in California, Foxx testified before a House of Representatives transportation committee.

That happens all the time, but then Foxx joined with Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Pa.), chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, for a Twitter town hall session.

Foxx, who practices retail politics as only a mayor can — he once led Charlotte, North Carolina — said he will ride a bus from Florida back to Washington, stopping along the way to drum up support for the infrastructure plan.

Why would he decide to do this? Well, because chunks of concrete from a dilapidated bridge in Maryland recently fell on a car, damaging it severely but, thankfully, not killing anyone. Unfortunately, these events are becoming more commonplace.

Two members of the U.S. House, Democrat Dan Lipinski of Illinois and Republican Reid Ribble of Wisconsin, said they have signatures from 300 colleagues on a letter calling for House leaders to produce a real transportation plan. Perhaps Foxx’s ride can help enlarge that coalition or solidify it.

Foxx’s department also released a study projecting increases in freight through 2040 and trucks doing more than 80% of the work.

Slowly, like grinding glaciers, an understanding of the importance of a transportation network seems to be growing — or so we hope.

Regrettably, collapse and failure are still an option, but we urge the transportation leaders of the nation to continue laboring diligently so that does not happen.