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As the debate over jobs and funding drags on, it has occurred to me, as well as many other transportation professionals, that we need to change our position on maintaining and improving our nation's infrastructure. It's painfully clear our transportation inventory is aging, and our country needs to be more resilient against natural and man-made disasters.
We know globalization is driving a need for better intermodal connections to encourage trade — that our economy is challenged and job creation is paramount — and we must meet these demands or fall behind. Until recently, our arguments for funding transportation have necessarily centered solely on all of these critical needs. Our industry has centered the discussion on what the American people won't have without action by our political leaders.
While this funding uncertainty has caused many state departments of transportation to postpone or cancel vital projects and related jobs, our message has yet to motivate politicians to compromise on a multiyear reauthorization bill. Recent activity by the U.S. House and Senate to move a transportation bill forward is encouraging. However, that movement is tempered by recent appropriation activities that reduce last year's funding to states by $2 billion, putting 50,000 to 70,000 jobs in jeopardy.
Rather than sending distress calls, we need to emphasize and illustrate infrastructure's return on investment. ROI is something everyone understands and values.
The historic precedent and constitutional mandate is clear — meeting our nation's infrastructure needs is foremost to our interstate commerce, safety, security and global competitiveness. Our best-regarded presidents supported infrastructure and fully understood its ROI. From George Washington's survey for the first proposed national road from Maryland to Indiana (similar to today's Interstate 70), to Thomas Jefferson's efforts to develop the nation's early canals, to Abraham Lincoln's support of the transcontinental railroad, our greatest political leaders understood that a strong infrastructure promotes a more nimble military, creates jobs, sparks the economy and advances America's competitiveness in the global marketplace.
For the full piece, visit the Tampa Tribune.
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