Freight: America’s Economic Engine
The ability to move goods quickly and cost effectively produces millions of jobs and supports a higher standard of living for our population. In fact, 44 million U.S. jobs are directly supported by the multimodal freight network. When the freight network is congested, unreliable, and unsafe, American businesses struggle to remain competitive, paying $27 billion annually in extra freight transportation expenses due to delays resulting from system congestion and creating a “drag-effect” that reduces our nation’s ability to compete in the global marketplace. The Coalition is dedicated to helping develop federal freight policy that will ensure sufficient funding in federal legislation to meet the nation’s goods movement needs.
While 2015’s Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act made significant improvements in freight policy and programming, more is needed to make up for years of underinvestment and to prepare for growing system demands. CAGTC’s policy platform calls for Freight Mobility Program Principles, including:
- A national strategy which guides long term planning
- A dedicated funding mechanism(s)
- A set of merit-based criteria for funding allocation
- A partnership with the private sector
Click Here to read CAGTC’s Policy Paper