The Coalition for America’s Gateways and Trade Corridors (CAGTC) applauds Chairman Barasso (R-WY), Ranking Member Carper (D-DE) and members of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works for approving the bipartisan America’s Transportation Infrastructure Act of 2019 (ATIA) during today’s Committee markup.

“We applaud the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee for introducing a bipartisan reauthorization bill that responds to the core funding and policy objectives of our Coalition,” said Paul Hubler, Chairman of CAGTC and Director of Government and Community Relations for the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments in Los Angeles County. “Specifically, we appreciate and support the robust funding increases proposed for the national discretionary and formula grant programs for freight and highway projects, as well as significantly increasing amounts that can be awarded to port, rail and multimodal projects.”
EPW has begun reauthorization by releasing proposed legislation that includes sustained, unprecedented levels of investment in our national freight network. Among the bill highlights are:
• Increases INFRA/ Nationally Significant Freight and Highway Projects Program funding to $5.5 billion over five years (the FAST Act authorized the program at $4.5 billion over five years). Funds available to multimodal projects through this program increases significantly – from a cap of $500 million over five years to a cap of 30% annually, or $1.65 billion. The proposal also calls for transparency measures in the grant decision making process; and,
•  Increases freight formula program funding to $8.5 billion over five years (the FAST Act authorized the program at $6.3 billion over five years) and raises the amount that can be invested annually in multimodal freight infrastructure from a cap of 10% of project funds available to multimodal projects, to a cap of 30%, or $2.55 billion.
“We’re very pleased by the EPW Committee’s surface transportation authorization proposal, in particular, the Committee’s call for increased funding dedicated to freight through the INFRA program as well as the freight formula program. These funding levels are unprecedented, as is the Committee’s call for flexibility in allowing increased investment across all freight modes. CAGTC has championed robust, dedicated, and flexible freight funding since our establishment in 2001,” stated CAGTC Executive Director Elaine Nessle. “As the reauthorization bill moves forward, we look forward to working with the Senate Finance Committee to ensure these freight funding provisions become law.”