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Delivering Goods to Market
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Congestion within the freight modes is a growing and significant problem. Keeping ahead of the problem requires better use of current facilities and the funding of future projects with the biggest payoffs. Such decisions are not necessarily facilitated by current funding programs and institutional arrangements. Much more complete assessments of projects are needed. Because highways serve to connect all modes of transportation, federal policies related to highways have profound effects on freight transportation. These policies include the taxation of motor carriers, safety regulation, incentives for new investment, and determination of funding levels to ensure efficient system operation. |
The congressional role in establishing maximum truck dimensions has substantial consequences for trucking productivity but is at best an indirect means of influencing safety. Federal and state policy with regard to trucking should permit state highway trust funds to recover the costs heavy trucks impose on infrastructure and fees for use of such trucks should incorporate social and environmental costs. |
Federal involvement in the marine transportation system is complex and uncoordinated across the many federal agencies involved. A first step to improving this situation would be to have the US Department of Transportation assess and report on system performance, as it does for the highway and transit modes. |
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