Insights - March/April 2018 - 7
INFRASTRUCTURE - from page 5
helping complete projects faster."
House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
Chairman Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) praised the president's focus
on infrastructure and invited colleagues to build "a bipartisan
infrastructure plan that includes a fiscally responsible solution"
for the Highway Trust Fund that could become insolvent as early
as 2020.
"Congress is running out of options to cover the periodic
[Highway] Trust Fund shortfalls," Shuster said.
Optimism About Legislation
facilities that has been stymied
significantly by environmental review
processes that are extraordinarily
lengthy and costly.
In addition, he noted that
public-private partnerships also hold
promise for encouraging investment
through private activity bonds for
projects that local or state governments might view as too risky to
undertake.
Blubaugh
Burnley doesn't see a solution
to the fuel tax question before next year, given the upcoming
midterm elections. "The Highway Trust Fund has collapsed over
time," he said. "A debate has to occur. There is a more serious
chance of something happening on that front next year."
After the administration's proposal was released, President
Trump signaled he might support raising federal fuel taxes to pay
for infrastructure. Almost immediately, House Speaker Paul Ryan
(R-Wis.) ruled out House action on an increase in federal fuel
taxes as a funding option. An increase in fuel taxes, as measured
by a Quinnipiac University poll, found about half of Americans
favor raising the federal fuel levy.
There is some optimism that
legislation will materialize this year.
"There is a good chance that an
infrastructure package, including a
number of elements from the White
House plan, can pass this year," said
former Secretary of Transportation
James Burnley, a partner at Venable,
LLP.
He told Intermodal Insights that
"the White House plan is a starting
Burnley
point. Congress will work its will as
Stakeholders Weigh In
always and continue to encourage private investment where it
IANA supports several infrastructure programs to enhance
can. They will certainly include credit lending programs like the
capacity and service, President and CEO Joni Casey said. They
Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act."
include dedicated funding for intermodal freight connectors, and
Burnley said the administration's stated commitment to
investment tax credits for freight railroad infrastructure. IANA also
stronger infrastructure is a positive development for freight
supports permitting reform that results in reduced time for the
because it will encourage federal decision makers to address
improvements that benefit goods movement.
"It is highly likely that some form of
an infrastructure bill will pass for a few
reasons," said Marc Blubaugh, partner at
Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan and Aronoff's
Transportation and Logistics Practice.
With tax reform complete, Washington
Premium Media
can focus on infrastructure projects with
bipartisan support that "simply does not
strike the same ideological nerves that
health care or tax reform does. President
Trump has a natural affinity for infrastructure projects due to his real estate
development background - as is evident
from listening to him discuss 'gleaming
new roads, bridges, highways, railways
and waterways.'"
"The plan that emerges must attend to
the vital intermodal industry by ensuring
Media
either that the industry benefits from
any direct investments being made or
that private-public partnerships focusing
on intermodal connectors, intermodal
American Journal of Transportation
terminals, and similar infrastructure are
equally incentivized," Blubaugh said.
He also said that the regulatory
reform process is "most consequential
even if not as flashy on the surface." He
cited the development of intermodal
2018 MEDIA SPONSORS
March/April 2018 | Intermodal Insights
7
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Insights - March/April 2018
IANA News
Washington Begins Work on Infrastructure
Equipment Condition, DVIRs Benefit Terminal Throughput
Effective Steps Can Be Taken When Terminal Capacity Is Tight
Freight Report
Chassis Market Changes Focus on Pools, Efficiency
Blockchain Presented as Option to Aid Intermodal Information Flow
Buying Decisions, Truck and Real Estate Costs Transform Transloads
Gender Diversity Makes Good Business Sense
Government News
International Intermodal News
Intermodal Information Services News
New Members
People News
Intermodal Calendar
Insights - March/April 2018 - Cover1
Insights - March/April 2018 - 2
Insights - March/April 2018 - 3
Insights - March/April 2018 - IANA News
Insights - March/April 2018 - Washington Begins Work on Infrastructure
Insights - March/April 2018 - 6
Insights - March/April 2018 - 7
Insights - March/April 2018 - 8
Insights - March/April 2018 - 9
Insights - March/April 2018 - 10
Insights - March/April 2018 - Equipment Condition, DVIRs Benefit Terminal Throughput
Insights - March/April 2018 - 12
Insights - March/April 2018 - 13
Insights - March/April 2018 - 14
Insights - March/April 2018 - Effective Steps Can Be Taken When Terminal Capacity Is Tight
Insights - March/April 2018 - 16
Insights - March/April 2018 - 17
Insights - March/April 2018 - 18
Insights - March/April 2018 - Freight Report
Insights - March/April 2018 - Chassis Market Changes Focus on Pools, Efficiency
Insights - March/April 2018 - 21
Insights - March/April 2018 - 22
Insights - March/April 2018 - Blockchain Presented as Option to Aid Intermodal Information Flow
Insights - March/April 2018 - 24
Insights - March/April 2018 - 25
Insights - March/April 2018 - 26
Insights - March/April 2018 - Buying Decisions, Truck and Real Estate Costs Transform Transloads
Insights - March/April 2018 - 28
Insights - March/April 2018 - Gender Diversity Makes Good Business Sense
Insights - March/April 2018 - Government News
Insights - March/April 2018 - 31
Insights - March/April 2018 - 32
Insights - March/April 2018 - International Intermodal News
Insights - March/April 2018 - 34
Insights - March/April 2018 - Intermodal Information Services News
Insights - March/April 2018 - New Members
Insights - March/April 2018 - 37
Insights - March/April 2018 - 38
Insights - March/April 2018 - Intermodal Calendar
Insights - March/April 2018 - 40
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