Industry groups push for increased freight infrastructure spending

The Coalition for America’s Gateways and Trade Corridors kicked off its annual meeting in Washington, D.C., this week by highlighting 43 freight projects that need federal partnership.    Various freight transportation groups from around the country are traveling to Washington, D.C. this week to encourage more spending on infrastructure.
   The Coalition for America’s Gateways and Trade Corridors (CAGTC) today kicked off its annual meeting, drawing attendees from across the country.
   “As Congress and the Administration consider a large-scale infrastructure investment package to address transportation needs, CAGTC calls for a robust contribution for goods moving infrastructure,” said Tim Lovain, CAGTC chairman and executive vice president of Crossroads Strategies. “Dollar for dollar, direct federal investment in freight infrastructure yields a high return, creating construction jobs in the immediacy, and in the long term, bolstering the infrastructure that moves commerce.”
   CAGTC has published a new booklet titled Freight Can’t Wait, which highlights 43 freight projects that it says are “of regional and national significance in need of federal partnership.”
   Representatives from the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) are joining members of the CAGTC in urging members of Congress and the U.S. Department of Transportation to make freight investment an “urgent national priority.”
   “Southern California is a major international trade corridor, but we’ve seen our infrastructure deteriorate to the point where our economy and quality of life face serious long-term consequences,” said Pam O’Connor, a city council member from Santa Monica, Calif. and a past president of SCAG.
   According to SCAG, “Directly or indirectly, trade and goods movement represents one-third of all jobs and economic activity in the region.”
   “The future of Southern California is directly tied to our ability to move goods safely and efficiently, and right now, that’s very much at risk given the state of our freight network,” said Greg Pettis, a council member from Cathedral City, Calif. and another past president of SCAG. “It’s not just about us, either. Southern California is America’s global freight gateway, so what is good for us impacts the entire U.S.”
   “Making freight infrastructure investment the hallmark of a large-scale investment program presents a unique opportunity to both attract and retain domestic manufacturing and strengthen U.S. infrastructure – both of which are goals held by the Administration,” CAGTC said. “CAGTC’s new research has compiled examples of freight projects across the country that stand to benefit manufacturing supply chains, and the economy as a whole, should they receive federal partnership and priority.”