Highway Trust Fund

Lawmaker: Use Postal Service to test vehicle-miles-traveled fee

One of the strongest voices in Congress calling for replacing the gas tax with a vehicle-miles-traveled (VMT) user fee is proposing the U.S. Postal Service as the place to test the idea.

“The final step necessary to begin a full conversion to a VMT system is to test it in an interoperable, national setting,” Rep. Sam Graves, R-Missouri and ranking member of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, said in a statement Friday.

“The USPS operates a large, nationwide fleet of vehicles...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/lawmaker:-use-postal-service-to-test-vehicle-miles-traveled-fee

Election 2020: Road ahead for trucking infrastructure hinges on Nov. 3

With odds “more likely than not,” according to political analysts, that the U.S. Senate will follow the political party of the presidential ticket in the wake of next week’s election, issues critical to the trucking industry face divergent paths depending on who wins the White House.

Highway infrastructure is at the top of that list.

“It’s not just about the election, it’s also about control of the Senate and the relative balance in the House,” Jeff Davis, senior fellow at the Eno Center for...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/road-ahead-for-trucking-infrastructure-hangs-in-balance-on-nov-3

Trump signs 1-year highway bill extension

President Donald Trump signed an appropriations bill Thursday that extends federal surface transportation programs for one year, including $13.6 billion to keep the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) from running out of cash.

The highway bill extension was part of a larger package that funds the entire federal government through Dec. 11.

The stop-gap measure was necessary because Congress failed to pass a multiyear highway bill reauthorization before the previous law, known as the FAST Act, expired...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/trump-signs-1-year-highway-bill-extension

House lawmakers approve $13.6B lifeline for Highway Trust Fund

The U.S. House passed legislation that injects $13.6 billion into the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) while extending the FAST Act by one year at current funding levels.

The legislation was part of a continuing resolution to keep much of the federal government running through Dec. 11 and avoid a government shutdown on Sept. 30, the end of the fiscal year.

The resolution, which passed with bipartisan support Tuesday, is expected to be taken up and passed by the U.S. Senate before the end of the month.

“The...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/house-lawmakers-approve-136b-lifeline-for-highway-trust-fund

Coalition seeks one-year extension of FAST Act

A coalition of 88 business and government groups is pressing Congress to extend the current surface transportation law for one year before it expires in three weeks.

The $305 billion Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act – known as the FAST Act – was signed by President Obama in 2015 and is set to expire at the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30. In addition to creating grant programs for states and establishing performance levels for the highway, rail and maritime sectors, the law...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/coalition-seeks-one-year-extension-of-fast-act

Freight helping major toll highways weather pandemic

Two major U.S. turnpike authorities confirmed that freight traffic has been the lone bright spot in an otherwise dismal two months since the COVID-19 pandemic began decimating toll road revenue collections.

Speaking at a press briefing Thursday sponsored by the International Bridge, Tunnel & Turnpike Association (IBTTA), Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti, chairman of the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, said she has seen “no big drop-off” in commercial traffic despite overall revenue in March and April...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/freight-helping-major-toll-highways-weather-pandemic

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