U.S. Chamber offers infrastructure guidelines
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday issued a set of principles it would like President-elect Obama and the new session of Congress to follow in developing infrastructure policy.
Obama and congressional leaders have stated their intention to include a huge infrastructure component in any economic rescue plan to create 2.5 million jobs and shore up decaying transportation, wastewater, electricity and other systems.
On the transportation front, the Chamber recommended:
' Support for a multimodal and intermodal system to enhance connectivity and reduce congestion.
' Focus on transportation assets of national interest.
' Encourage research on new technologies to improve construction, maintenance and operations of facilities.
' Reinvest transportation taxes and user fees into the transport system.
' Encourage project financing and delivery approaches that encourage private investment.
' Improve the review process to get project approvals completed faster.
| Kavinoky |
“The first priority must be to appoint and confirm a qualified administrator to oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the United States. Then Congress must swiftly reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration and Airport and Airways Trust Fund, the Water Resources Development Act, and the SAFETEA-LU highway bill,” said Janet Kavinoky, the Chamber’s director of transportation policy, in a news release.
To see the Chamber’s recommendations, go to www.uschamber.com/assets/lra/081209lra_transition.pdf.