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Why It Matters.Infrastructure drives growth, jobs, safety, and global competitiveness. An aging and crumbling transportation system is slowing Americans down, reducing productivity, and damaging our ability to move products across the country.
NPA's Position
NPA supports increased funding and investment for our nation’s critical infrastructure and transportation systems. We stand with the U.S. Chamber in its effort to Rebuild America and support its plan for infrastructure modernization and investment, including:
Increase the federal fuel tax by 25 cents.
Implement public-private partnerships to maintain and fund infrastructure.
Streamline the permitting process at the federal, state, and local level.
Background
Over the course of the last 3-4 years, Congress has made some strides in addressing the nation’s infrastructure needs. We have seen legislation addressing the reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), inland waterways and in 2015, they even passed a multi-year surface transportation bill that increased investments in roads and bridges. But these stop-gap measures are not enough.
Talking Points
33% of roads in the U.S. are in poor or mediocre condition, according to the Federal Transit Administration. It’s no wonder that the U.S. received a “D+” national grade for infrastructure. It would take $3.7 trillion to get America’s infrastructure to a B. The time for meaningful legislation is now.
Federal funding for surface transportation—Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act— barely keeps up with inflation. It authorizes an average of $56.2 billion per year from 2016-2020 and inflation has essentially eroded its value.1 We can no longer afford a flat budget for critical infrastructure needs.
Much of public infrastructure is federally funded through the gasoline tax, currently at 18.4 cents per gallon.2 The gas tax is not indexed for inflation and has barely changed since 1993. As a result, we are missing out on valuable infrastructure investments.
Congestion negatively affects the infrastructure of our roads. Parking provides a much-needed reprieve from the daily wear and tear to the nation’s roads.
Commuters face costs of $523 per year because of driving on roads in disrepair.3 This includes vehicle depreciation, maintenance frequency, and additional fuel consumption.
We must reduce the time it takes to permit infrastructure improvements. It currently takes an average of 5-years just to conduct an environmental review to obtain a permit.4 It shouldn’t take longer to approve a project than to build it.
Public-Private Partnerships (P3s) are a cost-effective and efficient solution to addressing the nation’s infrastructure needs.5 P3s reduce cost and project completion times, increase access to private sector expertise and innovation, and promote broader transit and development opportunities.
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