Deputy Managing Penny Brown • 202-355-1154 Editor ( pbrown@trafficworld.com)

Fast Lanes

If you thought debate over government investment in transpor-

tation, including the many regulatory questions that will affect

shipping in coming years, was going to build up slowly this

year, you may already be late to the game.

The discussions in Washington about eral aid for buying new air traffic control a huge financial package to stimulate the equipment and some trucking interests American economy got off to a fast start were looking to revive a bid for greater last week and for transportation interests use of longer-combination vehicles, with the stakes couldn’t be higher. the idea that greater efficiency will reduce

That’s not only because of the dollar costs and so stimulate activity.
figures attached to a stimulus package But improved efficiency in shipping
that could pump hundreds of billions doesn’t really stimulate demand for goods,
of dollars into the economy, including and that’s really where the problem lies in
huge sums toward construction of roads the stimulus package for the transporta-
and bridges. It is because it became clear tion world.
immediately that the bid to jump-start In brief, important and even laudable
the economy was turning not only into a transportation measures are coming up in
dry run for the transportation reauthori- an accelerated schedule without the sort
zation plan due later this year but could of consideration shippers and carriers and
even overshadow the measure commonly the public really need. This highway bill
called the highway bill. cycle, after all, was going to include a broad
That may be lamentable for many trans- rethinking of the very foundation of trans-
portation interests that may hope for a clear, portation planning, the priorities for the
deliberate debate over the major infrastruc- future of freight movement and how we pay
ture and regulatory issues the country faces. for roads, bridges, airports, port facilities
But no one should stop to shed a tear for and long neglected intermodal connectors.
too long because the train, as the saying Many in Congress actually are trying
goes, is ready to leave the station. to build the right framework for priorities

Waiting to get on board is a seemingly and accountability for sending dollars to limitless array of special provisions, just transportation projects. But in doling out about all of them familiar features on leg- many tens of billions to programs that islative wish lists that are being dusted off supposedly are “ready to go,” there is a and outfitted in new garb with stimulus real danger that backing will go to state rationales woven in. projects that have more paper than plan-

Corporate tax breaks on forgiven debt ning behind them. and on profits returned from overseas, a And later, when Congress tries to set repeal on tariffs on imported clothing and true long-term priorities, there may not new grants for college students were in the be much left to stimulate planning on the mix last week. All, of course, are aimed at country’s true infrastructure needs. pushing economic growth now.

And so are the transportation provisions that various interests were looking to include. Airlines were looking for fed-

Associate Editors

Government & Ari Natter • 202-355-1145 Regulation ( anatter@trafficworld.com)

Rail & Intermodal John D. Boyd • 202-355-1161

( jboyd@trafficworld.com)

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