The nation is not making the necessary investment in its infrastructure to facilitate economic development, the head of Amtrak said in response to a U.S. Senate committee hearing on the future of the federal surface transportation program.
“Congress is facing a real challenge on transportation policy and the bankruptcy of the Highway Trust Fund is just the tip of the iceberg. It is a challenge that must be met and one we as a nation can no longer dodge or neglect,” Amtrak President and CEO Joe Boardman said in a statement. “We are not making the transportation investments needed for economic growth and network improvement – we’re just barely keeping the existing system going.
“We need a balanced Transportation Trust Fund that can provide investment in any surface mode – including Highway, Transit, and Rail (both passenger and freight). Such a program would strengthen the whole network, and recognize and support the unique roles each mode plays in supporting interstate commerce and national connectivity,” Boardman said. “Simply putting the Highway Trust Fund on life support gets us nowhere.”
