Investing up to $1 trillion in the nation’s infrastructure is central to the Trump administration’s goal of building a better economic future for America. Strategic investments in freight-related transportation assets are also among the top priorities for America’s ports.
In mid-November, we sent President-elect Trump’s transition team the US port industry’s policy recommendations, which include land- and water-side transportation infrastructure investments, along with recommendations for port security and environmental enhancement programs.
The AAPA’s policy document includes ways to relieve traffic bottlenecks and expand freight-handling capacity, modernize and fully maintain the nation’s federal navigation channels, provide tax fairness and equity, secure America’s ports and water-side borders, and help protect the environment and build resilience.
With regard to improving the freight-handling capacity of the country’s roadways, railways and waterways, with particular emphasis on connections with US seaports, the AAPA recommends:
- Providing additional FAST Act investments and a sustainable freight trust fund to plan and build multimodal projects.
- Establishing a properly funded and staffed Office of Multimodal Freight Transportation within the US Department of Transportation’s Office of the Secretary.
- Supporting funding for a robust StrongPorts program under the Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration to help ports plan for their 21st century infrastructure needs.
- Increasing investments for authorized marine highway projects to ensure transportation alternatives alongside congested landside transportation corridors.
- Increasing funding for transportation infrastructure grants to $1.25 billion per year.
America’s seaport activity accounts for over a quarter of the national economy and supports more than 23 million US jobs. Local ports and their private-sector partners plan to invest nearly $155 billion into infrastructure over the next five years. Leveraging federal investments in seaport and freight-related programs will yield huge dividends in the form of economic growth, maintaining and creating jobs, enhancing America’s international competitiveness and sustaining a healthy environment.