Lautenberg, Murray, Cantwell Reintroduce Bill to Strengthen Freight Transportation System

Statement

Today, U.S. Senators Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ), Patty Murray (D-WA), and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) reintroduced legislation to establish a freight transportation policy that meets the needs of U.S. businesses and ensures the nation's continued global competitiveness. The legislation calls for the development of a strategic plan that would cut freight congestion and delays, increase the timely delivery of goods and services, reduce freight-related transportation fatalities, and make freight transportation more efficient and better for the environment. The Senators will work to include these priorities and investments for freight in the upcoming transportation reauthorization bill.

"The United States has the largest freight transportation system in the world, but there's work to be done to ensure it continues operating efficiently, safely and cleanly in the 21st Century," said Senator Lautenberg, who chairs the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety, and Security. "Businesses in New Jersey and across the nation are shouldering the burden of poor planning and underinvestment in our transportation network. Improving the flow of goods through our ports, highways, railways and airports will help American industry thrive in a global economy."

"The safe and efficient movement of goods across our nation is critical for our businesses, especially for those in my home state of Washington," said Senator Murray, who chairs the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development. "The FREIGHT Act will help bring us a national freight policy that will dramatically improve freight mobility in this country and increase the competitiveness of our businesses, reduce congestion, and provide a much-needed boost to job creation in our communities."

"Exports play a critical role in Washington's economy, with one in every three jobs in the state tied to trade," Senator Cantwell said. "We need a modern freight transportation system that allows our economy to grow by quickly moving goods from farm to factory to port. The FREIGHT Act establishes America's first comprehensive national freight transportation policy to improve freight mobility and lay the groundwork for strong economic growth and job creation."

The "Focusing Resources, Economic Investment, and Guidance to Help Transportation (FREIGHT) Act of 2011" would establish America's first comprehensive national freight transportation policy. It would also create a new Office of Freight Planning and Development within the Department of Transportation (DOT) that would coordinate efforts to improve the efficiency and operation of all modes of the national freight transportation system. The Secretary of the DOT would be directed to develop and implement a long-term national freight transportation strategic plan that meets the goals of the FREIGHT Act, and issue biennial progress reports, which would include any challenges to implementation and any requested policy and legislative changes.

The major goals established by the FREIGHT Act are:

Reduce delays of goods and commodities entering into and out of intermodal connectors that serve international points of entry on an annual basis.
Increase travel time reliability on major freight corridors that connect major population centers with freight generators and international gateways on an annual basis.

Reduce by 10 percent the number of freight transportation-related fatalities by 2015.

Reduce national freight transportation-related carbon dioxide levels by 40 percent by 2030.

Reduce freight transportation-related air, water, and noise pollution and impacts on ecosystems and communities on an annual basis.

The FREIGHT Act also would create a new competitive grant program for freight-specific infrastructure projects, such as port infrastructure improvements, freight rail capacity expansion projects, and highway projects that improve access to freight facilities.

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