Congress Urged to Act on transportation reauthorization bill.
Press Release Summary:
On Transportation TV, AASHTO President and Executive Director of Mississippi DoT Larry Brown said costs of freight and goods are increasing due to inefficiencies caused by underinvestment in transportation infrastructure. Two-Minute State DOT Update, posted online, shares Brown's views on how transportation network could be improved if lawmakers recognize existing problems and commit to increased funding as part of a multiyear surface transportation reauthorization measure.
Original Press Release:
AASHTO President Urges Congress to Act on Reauthorization Bill
Inefficiencies Causing Freight Costs to Increase, Brown Says in Video
WASHINGTON - Freight costs are increasing due to inefficiencies caused by the nation's underinvestment in transportation infrastructure, which drives up the price of goods, AASHTO President Larry "Butch" Brown says in a new video available on Transportation TV. Watch the video at www.TransportationTV.org.
Brown, executive director of the Mississippi Department of Transportation, is featured on Transportation TV's latest "Two-Minute State DOT Update" posted online today. He shares his views on how the transportation network could be improved if lawmakers were willing to recognize existing problems and make a commitment to increased funding as part of a multiyear surface transportation reauthorization measure that is already more than nine months overdue.
Opportunities are available to improve freight transportation through intermodal connectivity, Brown says. However, steady funding is required to finance these necessary freight improvement projects -- and the only way that money will become available is if Congress makes progress on a reauthorization bill containing substantially higher levels of transportation investment.
Greater federal infrastructure spending will produce enormous economic benefits for the country, making America's products more competitive, Brown contends.
"If you are going to recognize that we live in a global economy, then you've also got to recognize the characteristics of the global economy," Brown said. "If we can lessen the amount of freight costs by using the most-efficient method of transportation - that is, water - moving it as far as we can by water before making the intermodal connection, then certainly it means that we've got to have more investment in that infrastructure."
He points to different ways to utilize ports and waterways to take stress off railroads and interstates if an effort were made at the federal level to develop projects that focus on these goals. AASHTO Thursday released a new report, "Unlocking Freight" that details the current capacity issues facing the freight industry. Information and examples at expandingcapacity.transportation.org.
The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials is the "Voice of Transportation" representing state transportation departments in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. AASHTO is a nonprofit, nonpartisan association serving as a catalyst for excellence in transportation. Follow us on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/aashtospeaks
