New freight bill would hike diesel tax

New freight bill would hike diesel tax    Rep. Laura Richardson, D-Calif., Thursday night introduced legislation that would put the Department of Transportation on track to develop a national freight policy that guides public investment.
   The bill would generate funds for infrastructure projects targeted at goods movement by raising the diesel fuel tax on trucks by 12 cents per gallon and transferring $3 billion per year from the Treasury Department's General Fund into a Goods Movement Trust Fund.
   'Transportation hubs across the nation are hampered by aging infrastructure and unsupported transportation corridors, said Richardson, whose district includes the Port of Long Beach, in a statement. 'This is badly needed legislation that will improve the flow of goods across the country, create jobs through the construction of infrastructure and the enhanced national freight network, and improve the economy.'

Richardson

   The Freight FOCUS (Freight is the Future of Commerce in the United States) Act of 2010, H.R. 6291, seeks to establish a new Office of Freight Policy, headed by an assistant secretary, within DOT. It would set up a mechanism for private sector input into the policy process, prioritize major goods movement corridors and choke points that would be funded, and provide funding to mitigate the impact of emissions on the environment.
   The Goods Movement Trust Fund is described as a dedicated funding source that would ensure revenues raised from a particular mode go to projects in that mode.
   Gasoline and diesel taxes have not been raised since 1993 and inflation has eroded the spending power of the Highway Trust Fund.
   The Freight FOCUS Act has been endorsed by the American Trucking Associations, Retail Leaders Industry Association, the Waterfront Coalition, the Port of Long Beach, the International Union of Operating Engineers, and the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners.
   'The Freight FOCUS Act establishes a tangible process for freight planning that would strategically invest in the nation's transportation system. Sound investments will enhance the efficiency of goods movement internationally and domestically allowing the U.S. to alleviate freight congestion, increase productivity and better compete in the global economy,' RILA said in a statement.
   Shippers and transportation experts have complained for years that the government can't do a good job of addressing freight transportation needs without a national freight policy.
   Chances for the bill to move to a vote or become law are slim this year as lawmakers abandon Washington to hit the campaign trail in advance of the November mid-term elections. The Obama administration has indicated that it plans to put forth a proposal early next year to reauthorize the surface transportation legislation that expired one-year ago Thursday. A new bill is expected to address freight policy and dedicated freight funding.
   Last year Rep. James Oberstar, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, proposed a $500 billion spending and policy package that includes a dedicated freight fund. A key factor delaying new legislation is disagreement over how to pay for expensive infrastructure improvements.
   The Transportation and Commerce departments have been cooperating since last year to develop a national freight policy. They recently conducted outreach sessions in Atlanta and Chicago to gather input from shippers, carriers and other freight stakeholders. Another listening session is scheduled for Oct. 28 in Seattle and two more in Los Angeles-Long Beach and New York-New Jersey are being planned for the end of the year, officials at the Commerce Department's International Trade Administration said.
   A Federal Register announcement seeking private sector volunteers for a senior level advisory committee on freight policy will be published soon, Nicole Lamb-Hale, assistant secretary for manufacturing and services in the International Trade Administration, said during a panel session at the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals conference in San Diego this week. ' Eric Kulisch