2011 will see continuing changes at the Surface Transportation Board as it adapts to the economy of the 21st century and continues its process of openness and transparency.
The STB needs to adapt to the significant changes we’ve seen in the rail freight industry since the passage of the Staggers Rail Act 30 years ago. We need to continually work to ensure our regulatory framework makes sense for the continuing economic growth of railroads and shippers.
The board needs to revisit rules on railroad industry competition, including those that govern competitive access. Those rules were adopted at a time when the financial health of the industry was completely different than it is today.
We need to re-examine several of the board’s exemption rulings, which removed the federal protections of reasonable service and rates from various shippers over the last three decades. At the time, most of those shippers supported the exemptions, but some of those same shippers now say these exemptions have outlived their usefulness.
I’d also like to review high filing fees in complaint cases that may discourage meritorious claims.
The board will continue to look into the issues regarding the costs of transporting hazardous materials.
And we will continue the initiative to make the board more open, responsive and able to solve disputes between railroads and shippers informally before they lead to expensive formal complaints.
The board this year also will unveil a powerful new Web site that will allow the public and stakeholders to better follow the STB’s activities through new case-tracking technology and robust new search capabilities.