HOUSE TRANSPORTATION CHAIR SUPPORTS PROPOSAL FOR TRUCK LANES

HOUSE TRANSPORTATION CHAIR SUPPORTS PROPOSAL FOR TRUCK LANES    House Transportation'and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Don Young, R-Alaska, on Thursday introduced a nationwide proposal that would provide dedicated truck lanes.
   Young said such a measure would facilitate the movement of freight by trucks, reduce emissions and auto-truck accidents.
   Young said a dedicated lane, which would be paid for by toll charges on truckers, would give America more of a competitive edge by boosting freight volumes on the road.
   “This is long overdue,” said Young, citing an 18-month study by the Reason Foundation. “To make sure that we can compete globally, we have to be able to move these trucks. Further discussions are needed with other members of Congress, the trucking industry, all of the State governments, and other interested parties.”
   Robert Poole, director of transportation studies for the Reason Foundation, said the study found that the truck lane system, which would call for adding inter-city truck lanes to existing highways, could save up to $40 billion in shipping per year.
   Poole suggested that truckers pay the tolls for construction and operation of the new lanes, and added that turnpike authorities or other interested parties could issue bonds to pay for the lanes’ construction. Poole said a number of trucking companies supported the idea for tolls while offering a rebate program on fuel taxes.
   “They have expressed to us that they are very interested,” he said. Although Poole could not offer a solid financial figure for the project, he said that lane construction could cost $2 million to $3 million per mile.
   Young said that, based on another study, congestion in the nation’s largest urban areas hampers the effectiveness of moving truck by freight, adding for the need of such lanes. Young called for the possibility of third-party financing for the lanes. Young said he would examine the Reason Foundation’s fuel tax rebate proposal for toll-paying truckers.