Significant investment is needed in the US freight
transportation system, according to a newly released House Transportation and
Infrastructure Committee panel report that was compiled over the course of six
months.
Eleven members of Congress from across the US signed off on
the bipartisan, 100-plus page report, which includes a number of
recommendations.
Specifically, the House Transportation and Infrastructure
Committee’s Panel on 21st Century Freight Transportation recommends that
Congress:
Direct the Secretary of Transportation, in coordination with
the Secretary of the Army and the Commandant of the United States Coast Guard,
to establish a comprehensive national freight transportation policy and
designate a national, multimodal freight network.
Incentivize additional private investment in freight
transportation facilities in order to maintain and improve the condition and
performance of the freight transportation network.
Promote and expedite the development and delivery of
projects and activities that improve and facilitate the efficient movement of
goods.
Authorize dedicated, sustainable funding for multimodal
freight “projects of national and regional significance” through a grant
process and establish clear benchmarks for project selection. Projects eligible
for such funding would have a regional or national impact on the overall
performance of the multimodal freight network identified by the Secretary of
Transportation.
Direct the Secretary of Transportation, in coordination with
the Secretary of the Treasury and the Secretary of the Army, to identify and
recommend sustainable sources of revenue across all modes of transportation
that would provide the necessary investment in the country’s multimodal freight
network and align contributions with use of, and expected benefit of increased investment
in, such network.
Review the freight funding and revenue recommendations and
develop specific funding and revenue options for freight transportation
projects prior to Congress’ consideration of the surface transportation
reauthorization bill in 2014.
“As a representative of a port community and co-founder of
the Congressional Ports Caucus, I am pleased that the final report includes
recommendations that encourage ports and intermodal facilities to maximize
efficiency through off-peak cargo movement, supports full-utilization of the
Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund, and urges Congress to require critical freight
infrastructure operators to develop cyber vulnerability assessments and
incident response plans,” Congresswoman Janice Hahn (D-San Pedro), who
represents an area that includes the Port of Los Angeles, said during an Oct.
29 press conference on the report.
The Panel on 21st Century Freight Transportation convened in
April 2013 and members served for a period of six months before issuing the
recommendations. The panel’s six Republicans and five Democrats were tasked
with examining the current state of freight transportation and how improving
the system would affect the U.S. economy. The group traveled to several freight
hubs across the nation, including the Port of Los Angeles, speaking at length
with system users, carriers, and providers.
The full report with the panel’s recommendations can be read
at http://transportation.house.gov/sites/republicans.transportation.house.gov/files/documents/FreightReportSmall.pdf.
