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Heartland & Theodore Roosevelt Expressway
The document discusses advocacy efforts for an improved transportation network along the Ports-to-Plains Corridor. It would produce significant benefits such as improved safety, increased agricultural freight efficiency, and support for energy and renewable energy development. However, choices must be made to address the federal highway trust fund shortfall, such as increasing revenue through a higher gas tax. Policy recommendations include focusing on rural connectivity, freight movement, border infrastructure, and rural safety.
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Heartland & Theodore Roosevelt Expressway
- 1. Ports-to-Plains Ports to Plains AnnualMeeting September 8, 2010
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- 3. Advocacy Effort • These existinghighways are inadequate to meet current and future needs of the region and the nation • To promote economic security and prosperity throughout America's energy and agricultural heartland, these high priority corridors must be upgraded and modernized
- 4. Advocacy Effort An improved transportationnetwork will p p produce significant benefits: • It will improve safety, cutting accidents by p y, g y 50 percent from today’s levels • It will increase the efficiency of agricultural freight flow. Our corridor runs through six of the top ten farm states that produce nearly a quarter of all U.S. agriculture products
- 5. Advocacy Effort An improved transportationnetwork will p produce significant benefits: g • It is necessary for the development of the traditional energy resources essential to our nation’s energy security • We serve seven of the top ten oil producing states t t • The corridor also goes through five of the top six natural gas producing states • A single oil well requires an estimated 1,200 truck movements to develop
- 6. Advocacy y Effort An improved transportation network will produce significant benefits: • It is essential to developing the growing renewable energy industry industry. • We serve nine of the top ten states for wind energy potential and five of the top twelve potential, installed wind generation states. • A single wind tower requires eight trucks f for major parts, not including the crane, concrete or rebar.
- 7. Advocacy Effort An improved transportationnetwork will produce significant benefits: • It is a cost efficient way to take pressure off of highly- cost-efficient highly congested parallel corridors, such as the I-25 and I- 35 corridors • It will promote economic development in a region of the country that has the highest rate of population loss over the last decade and ensure that America’s heartland and its communities are connected to America by a modern, efficient and safe transportation facility
- 8. Advocacy Effort We supportsignificant reform of the federal surface transportation programs, including development of a clear and compelling f d l l d lli federal vision.
- 9. Advocacy Effort We W support significantly t i ifi tl increased transportation investment and continued user financing through a dedicated trust fund.
- 10. Advocacy Effort We inherited oneof the best transportation systems in the world. A system b t bought and paid for by a ht d id f b user fee on fuel purchased by the users of the system. f th t
- 11. Advocacy Effort Shortfall in theFederal Highway Trust Fund in 2010 = $18 billion from Ge e a u d ( de t ed General Fund (identified as a paybac payback of funds borrowed for deficit reduction) 2011 … 2012 … 2013 etc.????
- 12. Advocacy Effort Programs would have tobe cut by 25 percent or so over long term (without increased revenue)
- 13. Advocacy Effort Each 1 centof fuel tax buys 40% of Construction what it did i 1993 h t in 1993. Inflation Rate
- 14. Advocacy Effort Demographics •Vehicles: 246 milliontoday; 400 million by 2055 •Travel: 3 trillion vmt today; may hit 7 trillion vmt by 2055 •Truck Freight: Tonnage to increase by 114 % by 2035 Truck •Trucks: average 10,500 on Interstates today; 22,700 by 2035 •Rail tonnage: Grow by 63 % by 2035; market share down slightly •Trade: Container traffic up from 42 million today to 110 million by 2020 •Population: Increase by 140 million over next 50 years
- 15. Advocacy y Effort Choices: Ch i •Do Nothing … Defer Infrastructure Investment •25% or more less Transportation 25% Funding into future years •Pushing the cost to a later generation
- 16. Advocacy Effort Choices: Cover the Shortfallfrom the General Fund •Creates debt thereby increases deficit •Highway funding becomes less of a user pay system that must now compete for general tax dollars annually and more politically driven
- 17. Advocacy Effort Choices: Increase Revenue •Tolling, Public Private Partnerships, Bonding and other Debt Tools provide little for rural corridors. •Urban areas which may benefit want their share of the Fuel tax also •Gas tax is the only current funding … y g requires 10 cents per gallon to remain even with SAFETEA-LU
- 18. Advocacy Effort Policy Recommendations: Rural Connectivity and Mobility • A major focus on upgrading and j pg g modernizing the transportation infrastructure that provides connectivity and mobility for America’s small communities comm nities and rural areas r ral
- 19. Advocacy y Effort Policy Recommendations: • Freight Transportation – The new legislation should also include a major focus on freight movement, movement including freight corridors in rural areas, especially High Priority Corridors on the National Highway System.
- 20. Advocacy y Effort Policy Recommendations: • Border Infrastructure -- Border infrastructure is critical to promote the safe, efficient movement of goods, facilitating trade and supporting jobs in N th A i North America. i
- 21. Advocacy y Effort Policy Recommendations: • Rural Safety -- The new legislation should include a major focus on highway safety, especially safety j f hi h f i ll f on two-lane rural roads which often have fatality rates well above urban interstates. • These overburdened two-lane roads are carrying much of the food and fuel destined for our nation s nation’s major metropolitan areas.
- 22. Advocacy y Effort Policy Recommendations: • Environment/Energy – It is critically important, however, that climate change requirements— whether included in surface transportation h th i l d d i f t t ti legislation, climate change legislation, or energy legislation—recognize that the options in rural areas are different than the options in major metropolitan areas. • A one size fit all approach to climate change i fits ll h t li t h will not work.
- 23. Advocacy y Effort Permitting Pilot Program g g • We support a pilot program for streamlined transport of overweight and oversize equipment along the Ports-to-Plains Corridor, the Heartland Expressway and the Theodore Roosevelt Expressway. • One of the key challenges facing transporters of the heavy equipment used in the energy and agriculture industry is permitting oversized loads.
- 24. Thank You fromthe PTP Alliance Communities!