Transportation for America Applauds Senate’s Release Of National Transportation Objectives
May 15, 2009By Transportation for America
| CONTACT: Cosabeth Bullock 202-478-6128 cbullock@mrss.com |
For Immediate Release:
May 14, 2009
WASHINGTON – Today, Sen. John D. (Jay) Rockefeller (D-W.Va.), chairman of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, and Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) introduced legislation that lays out clear objectives for the upcoming national transportation bill, designed to meet the economic, energy, environmental, and social-demographic challenges of the future.
As Congress prepares to debate a six-year authorization bill — the current one expires Sep. 30 — the Rockefeller-Lautenberg measure highlights a growing consensus among legislators and the public that a continuation of the status quo will not do. The bill articulates a bold new vision for our transportation policy that addresses the 21st century needs of our economy, energy, our climate and our health. In introducing this bill before the debate over allocating transportation funds commences, the senators are acknowledging that Americans want to see a vision for what the transportation bill will achieve before they will be willing to spend more money.
Transportation for America applauds the measure’s aggressive performance targets, including goals to increase system safety, repair and maintain our existing networks, and reduce national surface transportation-generated carbon dioxide. Setting such concrete goals is a bold departure from current practice, whereby transportation agencies receive what amounts to a blank check, without being asked to account for achieving national objectives.
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