Surface transportation bill expected in January

Mica presses for harbor funds

Elizabeth Campbell, May 27, 10.

Representative John L. Mica (R-Fla), the senior Republican on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, expects Congress to take up a comprehensive surface transportation bill in January, one that should be “robust and comprehensive,” and should include funding options which expand public-private partnerships.

The Journal of Commerce Online reports that the committee first drafted a bill last July that lays out a surface transportation spending plan for the next six years, but the bill has yet to be formally filed because the House Ways and Means Committee has not found sources to fund the expected $500 million budget.

In addition, Mica asked that the committee would mark up a bill (H.R. 4844) that “would dedicate harbor maintenance funds for maintaining navigation channels and harbors. The bill was introduced in March.”

In fact, the lack of harbor maintenance has serious consequences:

Mica said the lack of maintenance dredging by the Army Corps of Engineers is causing transportation costs to rise, and few ports have the channel capacity to receive the new generation of larger vessels that carriers are bringing on line.

By the end of fiscal 2011, the article noted that the trust fund is expected to have a balance of $6 billion.

(Photo Credit: JosephWashere)