WASHINGTON,
DC – U.S. Senators Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ), Patty Murray (D-WA), and Maria
Cantwell (D-WA) today introduced legislation that would establish a freight
transportation policy to ensure the nation’s transportation system supports the
United States’ global economic competitiveness. The legislation would
direct the federal government to develop and implement a strategic plan to
improve the nation’s freight transportation system and provide investment in
freight transportation projects. The goals include reducing congestion
and delays, increasing the timely delivery of goods and services, reducing
freight-related transportation fatalities, and making freight transportation
more efficient and better for the environment.
“We
are long overdue in establishing a national freight transportation
policy that will meet the economic and mobility demands of the 21st Century,” said
Senator Lautenberg, who chairs the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Surface
Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety, and Security. “Poor
planning and underinvestment in our transportation infrastructure has led to
increased congestion at our ports, highways, airports, and railways, and
increases the cost of doing business. If we want to help U.S.
businesses succeed and create new jobs, we need a freight transportation system
that works better and can grow with the changing needs of the global economy.
This bill would put us on that path.”
This
bill is especially important to Washington state, which depends on trade and
has one of the most robust export economies in the country. One out of three
jobs in Washington depends on trade. And in 2009, Washington state exported
over $51 billion worth of goods, making Washington state fourth in the nation
for exports and first in the nation for exports per capita.
“The
safe and efficient movement of goods across our nation is critical for our businesses,
especially for those in my home state of Washington,” said Senator
Murray, who chairs the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on
Transportation, Housing and Urban Development. “The FREIGHT Act will
help bring us a national freight policy that will dramatically improve freight
mobility in this country and increase the competitiveness of our businesses,
reduce congestion, and provide a much-needed boost to job creation in our
communities.”
“Exports
play a critical role in Washington state’s economy,” said Senator
Cantwell. “A key piece of any thriving export economy is the smooth
shipment of freight from farm and factory to port and customers. This
legislation will help our export economy remain among the strongest in the
nation by understanding how to maximize the way road, rail, sea, air and
pipelines interact.”
The
“Focusing Resources, Economic Investment, and Guidance to Help
Transportation (FREIGHT) Act of 2010” would establish America’s first
comprehensive national freight transportation policy and create a new
Office of Freight Planning and Development within the Department of
Transportation (DOT) that would coordinate efforts
to improve the efficiency and operation of all modes of the
national freight transportation system. The Secretary of the
DOT would be directed to develop and implement a long-term national
freight transportation strategic plan that meets the goals of the
FREIGHT Act, and issue biennial progress reports, which would include any
challenges to implementation and any requested policy and legislative changes.
The
major goals established by the FREIGHT Act are:
- Reduce delays of goods and commodities entering into
and out of intermodal connectors that serve international points of entry
on an annual basis.
- Increase travel time reliability on major freight
corridors that connect major population centers with freight generators
and international gateways on an annual basis.
- Reduce by 10 percent the number of freight
transportation-related fatalities by 2015.
- Reduce national freight transportation-related carbon
dioxide levels by 40 percent by 2030.
- Reduce freight transportation-related air, water, and
noise pollution and impacts on ecosystems and communities on an annual
basis.
The
FREIGHT Act also would create a new competitive grant program for
freight-specific infrastructure projects, such as port infrastructure
improvements, freight rail capacity expansion projects, and highway
projects that improve access to freight facilities.
The
bill is endorsed by the Coalition for America’s Gateways and Trade
Corridors. The organization’s support letter can be found
here: http://lautenberg.senate.gov/assets/FREIGHT.pdf.
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