Dive Brief:
- House Democrats unveiled details of their $1.5 trillion infrastructure bill, the Moving Forward Act, Monday. The bill includes the Investing in a New Vision for the Environment and Surface Transportation (INVEST) in America Act, which earmarks almost $500 billion in green measures
- The Moving Forward Act also would provide: $300 billion for structurally deficient bridges; $100 billion for facility upgrades at high-poverty schools; $100 billion for affordable housing infrastructure; $100 billion in broadband internet; $40 billion for wastewater infrastructure; $70 billion for the electric grid for more renewable energy and upgrades; $30 billion for hospitals and other healthcare infrastructure; and $3 billion for "shovel-ready" Great Lakes, coastal and marine projects.
- The current FAST (Fixing America's Surface Transportation) Act will expire Sept. 30. So, lawmakers must come up with a plan to reauthorize funding. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she will bring the Moving Forward Act to the floor before the July Fourth break.
Dive Insight:
Infrastructure has ranked for several years as a top concern among transportation executives. The American Trucking Associations (ATA) has pushed for President Donald Trump and Congress to pass infrastructure legislation, saying poor infrastructure causes the average commuter to waste 42 hours a year sitting in traffic.
"Between time lost and the $1,600 in vehicle damage and wasted gas the average American is saddled with, we are no longer at the brink," said Chris Spear, ATA president and CEO, in an April 2019 news release.
The 2,300-page Moving Forward Act includes several sections around motor carrier and highway safety. In the text, lawmakers call for the construction of additional truck parking spaces, a top concern in the industry. The legislation calls for "improvements to existing commercial motor vehicle parking facilities, including advanced truckstop electrification systems."
Lawmakers in March introduced a bipartisan bill to finance truck parking, but the House has yet to take any action on it.
The bill would also introduce a Truck Leasing Task Force to assess leasing terms and monitor predatory agreements. And it would establish a Women of Trucking Advisory Board, recruiting more women into the trucking industry and providing mentorship.
During a press conference announcing the $1.5 trillion infrastructure bill, Pelosi touted the importance of building and maintaining infrastructure, from highways to bridges to ports. "It's job-creating in its essence, but it’s also commerce-promoting," she said.
