Infrastructure Supporters to Call on Congress to Bolster Nation’s Transportation Network

This story appears in the May 5 print edition of Transport Topics.

Transportation leaders and infrastructure advocates will again call on Congress to implement long-term financing structures, such as raising the federal fuel tax, to rehabilitate roads and bridges around the country.

They plan to do this during high-profile panel discussions in Washington, the week of May 12, for what they are calling “Infrastructure Week.”

Organizers indicated the events in the District of Columbia will touch on key challenges in the movement of freight, public transportation and wastewater treatment. Speakers also will stress the consequences of federal inaction and the importance of interconnected infrastructure designed to enhance business.

“We hear all the time, we need the grass roots to speak up. We need to hear more from general business. Well, part of getting people engaged is raising their awareness. This could be a way to do it,” said Janet Kavinoky, executive director of transportation and infrastructure for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

The Chamber will host a kick-off event at the Newseum on May 12. It will look at the types of public-private structures available for states and municipalities to finance large-scale infrastructure projects absent federal aid.

Kavinoky will moderate the discussions and said she hopes to continue to raise awareness about what states need to facilitate the growth of industries.

On May 13, American Trucking Associations will team with the Association of American Railroads to explore ways multimodal connectivity can be improved to reduce roadway congestion. Sean McNally, ATA’s vice president of communications, noted the event will be an opportunity for a “big-picture” look at the way trucks, trains and ports work to move freight.

“Groups like ATA are going to be trying to shine a spotlight on our nation’s needs for infrastructure investments,” McNally said.

Other groups hosting events during the week include the Brookings Institution think tank, the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association, the American Society of Civil Engineers and the nonprofits Transportation for America and Building America’s Future.

On May 16, Robert Puentes, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution’s metropolitan policy program, will host a discussion to highlight projects that states, cities and the private sector have adopted to fund.

“[They] are all coming together with new kinds of partnerships to get things done,” Puentes said.

The transportation and infrastructure community has been sounding the alarm about the country’s overall poor transportation system.

Last year, ASCE gave the country’s infrastructure a D+ grade, and recent analyses published by other leading organizations have noted the steady deterioration of bridges and roadways.

The federal government helps states and cities cover the costs of infrastructure programs through the Highway Trust Fund, but the latest projections by the Department of Transportation have the account insolvent by August. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx has warned that payouts to the states would slow down as the funds dwindle.

Foxx on April 29 sent Congress a long-term transportation bill that relies on business tax reforms to boost the highway account. Congressional transportation leaders have yet to unveil their proposals to keep the trust fund operable after the summer.

American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials estimated that Congress needs to approve about $15 billion to keep the fund solvent next year.