Achieving Multiple Policy Goals with the Freight Trust Fund

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Achieving Multiple Policy Goalswith the Freight
Trust Fund
Jack Basso Director of Program Finance and Man
agement American Association of State Highway and
Transportation Officials

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Objectives

• To provide participants with a summary of
  AASHTOs authorization proposals for freight
  
• To discuss how a Freight Trust Fund might be
  structured
  
• To offer how such a fund might be capitalized
• To answer questions on freight proposals

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Current Highway Freight Program

• Freight funding technically eligible across an
  array of existing programs, but in actuality a
  small portion
  
• Little coherence or integration in the program
  structure

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Robust Freight Investment
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Robust Freight Investment

• National Freight Transportation System
• Establish a framework for freight policy,
  planning, operations, and investment by better
  defining the nations freight transportation
  system, the demand for freight transportation,
  and the associated infrastructure requirements.
• Freight Corridor Organizations
• Authorize funding to support state-driven
  multistate, multimodal corridor planning and
  investment organizations
  
• State Freight Transportation Program
• Authorize a state-administered freight
  transportation program within the Highway Trust
  Fund funded at 18 billion for six years,
  apportioned annually to states

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Robust Freight Investment

• New Sources of Revenue
• From resources outside the HTF, authorize new
  sources of revenue for investment in freight
  transportation infrastructure
  
• National Freight Corridors Investment Fund
• Authorize investment fund for freight related
  projects on national freight corridors to total
  42 billion over six years
  
• Existing Programs
• Reauthorize Freight Transportation Programs
  Authorized in SAFETEA-LU
  

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Creating a Freight Trust Fund

• The Highway Trust Fund as a model
• Benefits from stable predictable revenues
• Fire-walled
• Creates the opportunity to create contract
  authority
  
• Allows for long-term planning

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Potential Freight-Specific Funding Sources

• Revenues from Climate Change Legislation
• Customs Fees
• Bill of Lading Fee
• Container Fee
• Diesel fuel tax increase
• Tax incentives for private investment
• Tax Credit Bond Financing
• Government-Business partnerships
• Removing Obstacles to Private Investment
• Freight Transportation Value Tax
• Weight/Distance Tax

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Proposed Program Funding Levelsto Restore
Purchasing Power
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• Thank You
• Jack Basso
• Director of Management and Business Development
• AASHTO - American Association of State Highway
  and Transportation Officials
  
• 444 North Capitol Street NW, Suite 249
• Washington, DC 20001
• Phone [phone]
• Fax [phone]
• Email jbasso_at_aashto.org
• Web www.transportation.org

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