Proposed FREIGHT Act of 2010

[Grzrd]

Interesting (Aug. 30, 2010) commentary on infrastructure improvements in proposed federal bill, and imperative need to address highway improvements.  Points out glaring need for new highway reauthorization bill:

"Three lawmakers made a lot of noise last month with the introduction of a bill that promises to spur investment in the national network for the movement of goods. Christened with the clunky acronym of the FREIGHT Act of 2010, which stands for Focusing Resources, Economic Investment, and Guidance to Help Transportation, the measure is being touted by a number of groups as the magic bullet for fixing our nation's crumbling, inadequate infrastructure. But this "visionary, comprehensive, systemic approach"  — in the words of the bill's authors — isn't nearly comprehensive enough to solve a decades-long problem .... an even more glaring oversight in the FREIGHT Act: the lack of any language related to improvements for existing highways, except for a limited number of roads that connect up with ports. That's the reason why the American Trucking Associations opposes the bill in its current form. As ATA spokesman Brandon Borgna points out, highways carry more than 68 percent of the nation's freight. What kind of a viable bill leaves them out?

"While we appreciate the recognition that the sponsors of this legislation have given to the importance of freight transportation, the highway reauthorization bill is almost a full year past due, and federal aid funding for highways is on the verge of collapse,"  ATA said in a statement earlier this summer. "This legislation does not remedy this growing crisis."

What's really needed at this juncture is a new authorization bill to follow SAFETEA-LU. Neither Congress nor the Obama Administration seems willing to tackle that issue in the run-up to the mid-term elections. Asked whether he believes we're anywhere close to getting a new highway bill, Downey replies: "I hate to say it, but the answer is no."  Powerful interests can't agree on the means of funding; the Administration has ruled out raising taxes for that purpose, and Republicans are adamantly opposed to giving the President any kind of victory between now and November. So make it 2011 at the earliest, with yet another short-term extension possibly coming before a full-fledged bill. In the meantime, gridlock. And the FREIGHT Act of 2010, for all its high-flown language about the importance of commercial transportation, does nothing to relieve it." (http://www.supplychainbrain.com/content/blogs/think-tank/blog/article/font-size2the-freight-act-of-2010-no-green-light-for-highway-fundingfont/)

Looks like a long time until next reauthorization bill.