More Money, Transparency Needed for DOT’s Freight Grants Program
The new freight grants program at the U.S. Department of Transportation needs additional funding from Congress and greater transparency, the Eno Center for Transportation indicated in a new report.
The report recommends that congressional funding leaders increase available funds for DOT’s FASTLANE grants to at least $2 billion a year. The program should be restricted to freight projects, and DOT must exercise transparency in detailing how it decides which projects merit the grants.
The program also should be structured to demonstrate effectiveness and receive long-term funding.
“Eno recommends enhancing this program, or creating a similar program that is targeted to freight infrastructure, that can make a real difference in improving the safety, reliability and effectiveness of the U.S. freight network,” Paul Lewis, the center’s vice president for policy and finance, and Jeff Davis, senior fellow at the center, wrote in a report published Feb. 14. “Now is an opportunity for Congress, the administration and the freight industry to come together to take this next step.”
The U.S. Department of Transportation solicited applications through Dec. 15 for $850 million in the FASTLANE grants. In July, the DOT picked 18 projects to split $759 million in fiscal year 2016 for freight programs. The 2015 FAST Act highway law established the Fostering Advancements in Shipping and Transportation for the Long-term Achievement of National Efficiencies (FASTLANE) grants.
