Politicians visit N.J. port, advocate more infrastructure investment

Federal dollars for PNCT’s expansion should be replicated nationwide, DOT Secretary Foxx and others say.    U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx and New Jersey’s congressional delegation used Port Newark Container Terminal as the backdrop Thursday to make the case that Washington should significantly bolster investment levels in infrastructure so the United States can compete better in the global economy.
   A dedication ceremony for PNCT’s new super wide-span ship-to-shore cranes was also used to celebrate last month’s $14.8 million TIGER grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation. The award will assist with the terminal’s $53.9 million expansion project, which includes expanding container yard capacity, modern truck gates, and a new yard design to improve the flow of trucks.
   Foxx told maritime industry officials and longshoremen gathered in an old warehouse that the TIGER grant will help the New York-New Jersey region, but said the nation is not investing enough in infrastructure to support trade and job creation.
   “As we celebrate the important advances here at the Port of Newark, let’s also renew our commitment to push for greater investments in infrastructure across our system. We can’t let this project be the last home improvement we’ve made in the American house,” he said.
   Congress passed legislation in August providing nearly $11 billion in temporary funding for highway and transit programs, including infrastructure construction. The measure keeps the Highway Trust Fund solvent through May and heads of potential cutbacks in reimbursements to states for construction projects already started. The emergency legislation was required because Congress has not reauthorized the surface transportation bill or identified additional revenue sources for the HTF at a time when receipts from motor fuel taxes are not keeping up with modernization needs.
   The nation’s infrastructure neglect means Congress must do more than simply maintain a HTF status quo, Foxx said, noting that the Obama administration’s $302 billion, four-year transportation proposal includes a $10 billion freight program to support multi-state projects that can help goods move more efficiently. 
   The plan, however, relies on a one-off infusion of money from corporate tax reform that few believe is imminent and does not generate ongoing revenue streams in future years.
   New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker forcefully argued that infrastructure provides the superstructure for the economy and deserves more investment.
   He said, alluding to Republicans in Congress, that there is a “mistaken belief in Washington that the only way to grow is to cut off investment.”
   PNCT’s TIGER grant is a good first step, but “we still need more resources. The roads, bridges and rail in this area are inadequate to keep up with the challenges,” the junior senator said.
   He and Sen. Robert Menendez lamented that other countries are investing more in passenger and freight networks to support business and trade.
   “You cannot have a global leader economically in the 21st century with 19th-century infrastructure,” Booker said.
   Booker, the former mayor of Newark, last month co-sponsored a bill that would allow local officials to compete more effectively for federal transportation grant funding by shifting the selection process for projects to a panel of local stakeholders instead of federal officials.