The American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA), along with more than 50 other transportation groups, is urging the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to dedicate some grant funding to the domestic supply chain.
In an April 26 letter, the groups wrote to U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg that the DOT on supply chain issues that arose during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Over the past two years, the supply chain has endured extreme slowdowns due to pandemic-related pressures,” the group wrote. “IHS Markit, a data research firm that constantly surveys businesses on their supply delivery times, found that, after a decade of constant or slightly declining delivery times, their index, starting in 2020, has signaled a substantial and widespread slowdown of the supply chain. Pandemic-induced record cargo volumes have put pressure on the supply chain leading to abnormally long loading and unloading times at seaports, inland ports, and throughout all modes of transportation when, prior to the pandemic, the system functioned smoothly.”
The group said the DOT should focus the $18 billion in INFRA, MEGA and CRISI grant programs over the next five years to make the improvements necessary to address these issues.
“Whether it is improvements to port infrastructure, addressing freight bottlenecks at major highway interchanges, or investing in grade separation projects, these investments will not only improve safety and air quality but will better the U.S. economy,” they wrote.
The groups said that freight movement enhancements would help alleviate economic burdens and strengthen the goods movement network, as well as withstand future disruptions.
ARTBA said it will continue to push for implementation of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, using only the bipartisan legislative intent as its guideline.