Ian Jefferies: Revitalizing transportation systems starts with sensible … – Topeka Capital Journal

Leaders in Washington, D.C. are turning their attention toward revitalizing an American infrastructure system recently graded a D-plus by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). The same group rated Kansas infrastructure a C-minus.

Privately owned freight railroads, which spend their own money so taxpayers do not including $635 billion since partial deregulation nearly 40 years ago believe progress will be made through public policy solutions that both enhance public spending and spur private infrastructure investment. Our industry perhaps understands best that optimum performance requires steady capital investment.

Therefore, as lawmakers turn their attention to actual legislation, our industry offers recommendations as a starting point in this sure-to-be lengthy process, simply for the transportation portion of Kansas and U.S. infrastructure:

Stop applying band aids to the insolvent Highway Trust Fund, the pool of money funded almost solely by the gas tax and which is used to fund federal and state transportation infrastructure projects. Because the gas tax does not cover operating expenses, and because commercial users such as trucks do not pay for their proportional use of roads, taxpayers have subsidized the fund to the tune of $143 billion since 2008. We need measures such as a weight distance fee that accounts more realistically for commercial road use.

Do not make things worse by pushing heavier trucks onto transportation networks. Any federal program that boosts truck weight limits at the federal level further subsidizes commercial highway users at the expense of taxpayers, exacerbates deterioration of crumbling infrastructure and tilts the policy scale against a critical freight rail industry. Trucks today dont cover their current impact and heavier trucks will only force taxpayers to further bankroll the underpayment of even heavier trucks, according to U.S. Department of Transportation data.

Enact tax reform to spur economic growth and generate revenues needed for sustainable funding. We need a simpler and fairer tax code, reducing the business rate to a globally-competitive level to broaden the tax base, enhance U.S. economic development and promote growth. Divisive items related to tax reform must not impede the larger goal to enhance competition, which for railroads and American industry in general, will lead to more domestic spending.

Streamline government processes that will similarly unshackle the business community and fuel an American renaissance not seen for decades. By generating policies that focus more on desired outcomes than prescriptive steps, cutting red tape in the permitting process and by actually communicating with the private sector, long-delayed infrastructure projects may finally come to fruition. Not by eradicating regulation, but by instilling good government principles transparency and complete and sound science railroads, trucks and other transportation stakeholders would gain efficiencies that make room for greater innovation and investment.

Ensure the vitality of private infrastructure, namely a freight rail network that serves nearly every industrial, wholesale, retail and resource-based sector of the economy, including energy and farm products, water treatment and fertilizer materials, and a host of goods used in manufacturing in Kansas. This means Washington regulators ditching numerous proceedings to re-regulate freight rail, most notably a proposed measure called forced access, which would allow the government to order one rail company to use its own privately owned facilities on behalf of a competitor. Unneeded government meddling in the operations of this 140,000 mile network that keeps trucks off the road, reduces emissions and employs nearly 5,500 Kansans, is in direct opposition to the larger goal at hand.

To be clear, raising the GPA of Kansas and U.S. infrastructure is no small task. Myriad stakeholders have varying views and solutions. But these principles embody a premise that should be followed in this process: avoid changes in public policy that make things more difficult and increase funding needs.

Ian Jefferies is senior vice president of government affairs at the Association of American Railroads.

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Ian Jefferies: Revitalizing transportation systems starts with sensible ... - Topeka Capital Journal