Lowenthal proposes infrastructure trust fund

The bill, H.R.1308, Economy in Motion: The National Multimodal and Sustainable Freight Infrastructure Act, aims to raise roughly $8 billion a year dedicated to freight-related infrastructure projects with a focus on multimodal projects that help relieve the bottlenecks in the freight transportation system. It would establish the Freight Transportation Infrastructure Trust Fund and be funded through a national 1% waybill fee on the transportation cost of goods.

To invest the funds, the bill creates two freight-specific grant programs. The first is a formula system in which each state would receive annual funds based on its amount of existing freight infrastructure. To be eligible, states must develop comprehensive State Freight Plans (SFP). They must also have, or form, State Freight Advisory Committees (SFAC), as encouraged under MAP-21, the federal transportation authorization bill enacted in 2012. In addition, the SFPs must contain environmental goals and strategies developed by SFAC member, providing a path for freight projects to address and reduce the environmental and community impacts of goods movement. A second funding mechanism is a competitive grant program that would be open to all local, regional, and state governments.

“Goods movement is one of the most powerful economic engines in our nation,” Lowenthal said. “And yet, the infrastructure this engine depends on is crumbling around us. We have the ability to fix it, make it stronger and make it better, while also taking action to address the negative impacts of goods movement on our communities.”

“H.R. 1308 is a smart and well-crafted bill that tackles the nation’s freight transportation issues head on,” said Dave Cortese, supervisor and chair of the San Francisco Bay Area’s Metropolitan Transportation Commission. “Whether it’s exporting goods through the Port of Oakland or moving freight up and down the East Coast, Rep. Lowenthal recognizes that goods movement is a national priority and a key to maintaining America’s global competitiveness. The bill not only creates a dedicated national trust fund for freight transport but also provides a simple and efficient way to sustain the fund for the long haul.”