CAGTC Members,
Yesterday, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation Subcommittee on Transportation and Safety held a hearing titled “Connecting America: Examining Intermodal Connections Across Our Surface Transportation Network.” Witnesses on the panel included: Mr. Chuck Baker, President, American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association; Dr. Noel Hacegaba, Deputy Executive Director, Administration and Operations, Port of Long Beach, representing the Intermodal Association of North America (a CAGTC member); Ms. Donna Lemm, Executive Vice President, IMC Companies, representing the Agriculture Transportation Coalition; and Mr. Joseph C. Szabo, Executive Director, Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, representing the CAGTC.
Should you be interested, Joe Szabo’s full testimony on behalf of CAGTC and CMAP can be found online here and CAGTC’s press release about the hearing is located here. More information, as well as a recording of the hearing, can be found online here.
Please find a summary of relevant conversation from the hearing here, with a few key takeaways below:
- All witnesses supported the INFRA and freight formula funding programs and called for their inclusion in the FAST Act’s reauthorization;
- Three witnesses specifically called for the removal of the caps for non-highway funding under both the freight formula program and the INFRA grant program; and
- Members of Congress and witnesses cited congestion as a major concern to the industry and nation as a whole, especially in areas that cross state and local jurisdictions and transportation modes. Increased federal funding and flexibility for discretionary grant programs was named by some as a possible solution.
Thank you,
Katie Cross
Manager, Member Communications & Policy
Coalition for America’s Gateways and Trade Corridors
1625 K Street NW
Suite 1100
Washington, DC 20006
tradecorridors.org
(202) 828-9100