2014-15 POLICY AND LEGISLATIVE AGENDA

Resolution of the Southern Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (SASHTO)

Transportation and the Economy

WHEREAS, the U.S. economy is slowly recovering from an extended recession; and WHEREAS, the demands of a fierce global economy require ever-greater strategies for competitiveness; and

WHEREAS, our under-investment in infrastructure is frequently cited as having an adverse impact on economic performance; and

WHEREAS, McKinsey and Company in a July 2013 report identified increased investment in infrastructure (with a new emphasis on productivity) as one of five game changing opportunities for U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth and renewal; and

WHEREAS, an efficient freight transportation system provides a competitive edge to our nation’s shippers and carriers to engage in global trade; and

WHEREAS, the Southern Legislative Conference has identified key transportation segments— Ports, Aviation/Aeronautics and the Auto Industry as among the “bright sparks in the regional economy” and specifically that nearly two-thirds of all U.S. exports and imports transits through a port in the South; and

WHEREAS, the cost of congestion (the cost of extra time and fuel), in constant 2011 dollars increased from $24 billion in 1982 to $94 billion in 2000 to $121 billion in 2011. (http:/tti.tamu.edu/documents/mobility-report-2012.pdf)

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the SASHTO states recommend that the federal and state governments, in collaboration with the private sector, expand our efforts to reinvest in transportation infrastructure at levels that will steadily reduce the backlog of infrastructure needs and spur economic growth; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the SASHTO Board of Directors urges Congress to advance legislation that promotes and incentivizes public-private partnerships and investments in various ways to expand the overall transportation revenue base; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the SASHTO Board of Directors recommends states commit to collaborating with business leaders in our respective states to promote a stronger partnership among all key sectors to promote a stronger economy and the infrastructure investments necessary to realize that goal.

Approved by the SASHTO Board of Directors
on August 4, 2015 in Nashville, Tennessee

2014-15 POLICY AND LEGISLATIVE AGENDA