Obama US$320-B Multimodal Freight Grant Proposal Welcomed

Welcoming the proposal, the Coalition for America’s Gateways and Trade Corridors (CAGTC) says it applauds the Administration’s vision for improving the multimodal freight network to support American businesses and national competitiveness in the world marketplace.

CAGTC inform that President Obama has unveiled an outline for his Administration’s first-ever surface transportation authorization proposal totaling $302 billion over four years and using a combination of highway trust fund revenues and corporate tax reform proceeds to pay for it.

Among the bill’s top-line items is the creation of a multimodal freight grant program with $2.5 billion per year in funds available for rail, highway, and port projects that “address the greatest needs for the efficient movement of goods across the country and abroad.

CAGTC says it has long advocated for a freight-specific grant program that awards funding through the use of merit-based criteria that identifies and prioritizes projects with a demonstrable contribution to national freight efficiency. Freight projects are typically large-scale, frequently multimodal and cross jurisdictional borders, making them difficult to fund through traditional distribution methods such as formula programs.

"Southern California's 18 million residents who our 191 member cities represent, applaud President Obama and his Administration for recognizing the linkage between efficient freight movement and our nation’s ability to compete in the global marketplace. Our region has one of the highest employment levels related to efficient logistics and manufacturing in the United States,” said Sharon Neely, CAGTC Chairman and Deputy Executive Director of the Southern California Association of Governments.

To learn more about the national freight network’s investment needs, visit: http://tradecorridors.org/images/stories/news/documenting_the_need_fact_sheet.pdf