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Time for Transportation Reform is Now

Today members of the National Transportation Policy Project (NTPP) issued a joint call with members of the National Surface Transportation Infrastructure Financing Commission. The call is to reform transportation policy in a way that delivers the infrastructure investments our nation requires to remain economically competitive in the 21st century. 

A diverse group of individuals, including former Republic and Democratic Senate and House members, mayors, business and civic leaders and transportation stakeholders and experts, came together nearly a year ago to outline, negotiate and agree upon principles for improving the federal surface transportation program. The recommendations this group issued today are framed by three core ideas: that our nation’s long-term economic growth and stability is dependent on adequate investment in transportation infrastructure; that wise and efficient investments are critical to ensuring scarce public resources are maximized; and that user-based revenues are a way to sustainably fund the transportation sector.

This statement draws attention to the poor fiscal outlook our nation is facing, as well as to the fact that the federal debt is consuming an increasing share of GDP. These circumstances, coupled with decades of underinvestment in national infrastructure, have resulted in deterioration of the nation’s transportation system, threatening our future safety, competitiveness and quality of life.

The Joint Statement from individuals with typically divergent perspectives offers bipartisan guidance to the ongoing deliberations on the next surface transportation bill. It is likely that the 112th Congress will spend the first 6 to 9 months of 2011 deliberating and negotiating the future of the federal surface transportation programs. This process can be informed by the values and principles of the Joint Statement.

Read the Joint Statement here.

2010-12-08 00:00:00
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