nymtc regional freight plan - New York Metropolitan Transportation ...

A Freight Plan for the NYMTC Region
Equity Act of 2003 (SAFETEA). New freight-related initiatives are included in both but
are far more significant in TEALU. 2
TEALU includes the following features:
• Funds five programs specifically designed to improve the movement of freight;
• Provides close to $2 billion in funding to border states for highway projects that will
improve the safe and efficient movement of people and goods at or across the border
between the United States and Mexico and the United States and Canada;
• Provides $3 billion in additional funding over six years to states for improvements on
freight intermodal connectors, public roads leading to and from major intermodal
facilities;
• Creates a new program to fund projects of regional and national significance that will
have a significant impact on the movement of goods and people beyond the immediate
local area of the project;
• Provides $5 billion over six years to fund a National Corridor Infrastructure
Improvement program to fund regional and multi-state corridor projects that will
improve mobility and economic growth in areas underserved by existing highway
infrastructure;
• Creates a new program to fund the construction of dedicated truck lanes to improve
the safe and efficient movement of freight by separating truck traffic from traffic in
regular lanes; and
• Provides $150 million to deploy and expand the Commercial Vehicle Information
Systems and Networks (CVISN) program. The program improves commercial motor
vehicle efficiency by allowing motor carriers to by pass safety inspections and weigh
stations, based on their safety records. This reduces vehicle downtime during roadside
inspections.
SAFETEA contains several proposals to broaden the ability of the Federal government to
participate in freight projects:
• Freight Gateways Program – This program would provide capital funding to address
infrastructure and freight operational needs at freight transportation gateways. States
would be allowed to “obligate funds apportioned to it for publicly owned intermodal
freight transportation projects that provide community and highway benefits by
addressing economic, congestion, security, safety, and environmental issues associated
with freight transportation gateways.” 3 Eligible projects “may include publicly owned
2
HR 3550.
3
SAFETEA Sec. 1205(a), Sec. 325(d)(1).
Cambridge Systematics, Inc. 7-5