• April 30th, 2014
• 0 Comments

GROW AMERICA Act would create jobs, provide certainty for country's future growth

U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx unveiled a long-term transportation bill and has sent it to Congress for consideration, as the House and Senate face looming deadlines to avoid the economic uncertainty and job loss that would ensue if the Highway Trust Fund runs out of money this summer.

The "GROW AMERICA Act" reflects President Obama's vision for a four-year surface transportation reauthorization bill that would create millions of jobs and lay the foundation for long-term competitiveness, rebuilding crumbling roads and bridges while providing much-needed certainty for local and state governments and addressing the country's future needs.

"I applaud Secretary Foxx for his leadership in unveiling Grow America Act. GVF advocated to ensure Pennsylvania passed a comprehensive transportation bill and I want us to accomplish a long-term transportation bill at the Federal level as well. We look forward to engaging our Public Policy Committee to provide guidance and input as we monitor this to see how it will impact our over 130 partners and the region. As the leading advocate for promoting TDM practices that help to improve our infrastructure, a long-term transportation bill is critical at the federal level, "said Rob Henry, GVF Executive Director.

In a statement released yesterday, Secretary Foxx said, "I visited eight states and 13 cities as part of my Invest in America, Commit to the Future bus tour this month and everywhere I went, I heard the same thing - people want more transportation options and better roads and bridges to get them where they need to go. Failing to act before the Highway Trust Fund runs out is unacceptable - and unaffordable."

On February 26, Secretary Foxx joined President Obama to announce a plan to address the nation's infrastructure deficit with a $302 billion, four-year surface transportation reauthorization proposal. As outlined in the FY2015 budget, the plan will invest in our national infrastructure network, increase safety and efficiency, and provide greater access to ladders of opportunity, all without adding to the deficit, by relying on the President's proposed pro-growth business tax reforms.

The GROW AMERICA Act is based on this plan, and represents a number of proposals that have historically attracted bipartisan support including:

• Addressing the shortfall in the Highway Trust Fund and providing an additional $87 billion to address the nation's backlog of deficient bridges and aging transit systems;
• Creating millions of new jobs to ensure America's future competitiveness;
• Increasing safety across all modes of surface transportation, including increasing the civil penalties the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) can levy against automakers who fail to act quickly on vehicle recalls;
• Providing certainty to state and local governments that must engage in long-term planning;
• Reducing project approval and permitting timelines while delivering better outcomes for communities and the environment;
• Bolstering efficient and reliable freight networks to support trade and economic growth; and
• Creating incentives to better align planning and investment decisions to comprehensively address regional economic needs while strengthening local decision-making.

For more details on Secretary Foxx's announcement, click here.