News Release
FOR RELEASE - November 28, 2018
Contact: Aaron Ellis, Public Affairs Director, aellis@aapa-ports.org
(703) 684-5700
American Association of Port Authorities
Phone: (202) 792-4033
www.aapa-ports.org
The American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) … the unified and recognized voice of America’s seaports … today submitted written testimony for a hearing of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, which was held to gather information about America's surface transportation needs.
Providing oral testimony before the Committee was Carlos Braceras, president of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials; Bob Lanham, vice president of Associated General Contractors of America; and James Corless, executive director of the Sacramento Area Council of Governments.
In AAPA’s written testimony, the association said that to build off the work in the FAST Act, all freight program funding should be 100 percent multimodal. A first step in accomplishing this would be to lift the multimodal cap on the INFRA program. AAPA noted that it strongly supports Senate EPW Ranking Member Tom Carper’s legislation (S.3587) that repeals the multimodal cap on the discretionary grant program created in the FAST Act.
To address the funding shortfall, AAPA said it believes the next reauthorization bill will need to address increasing funding needs and identify a multimodal funding source or sources. To that end, AAPA supports raising the gas tax as well as a waybill fee concept, and recommends that dedicated funding be approved for the freight programs.
About AAPA
Founded in 1912 and recognized as the unified voice of seaports in the Americas, AAPA today represents 140 of the leading seaport authorities in the United States, Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean and more than 250 sustaining and associate members, firms and individuals with an interest in seaports. According to IHS Markit’s World Trade Service, combined international sea trade moving through Western Hemisphere ports in 2016 totaled 3.49 billion metric tons in volume and US$3.01 trillion in value. Of that total, ports in Central and South America handled 1.71 billion metric tons of cargo valued at US$941 billion, while North American ports handled 1.79 billion metric tons of goods, valued at US$2.07 trillion. To meet the growing demand for trade, the AAPA and its members are committed to keeping seaports navigable, secure and sustainable. For more information, visit www.aapa-ports.org. On Twitter: http://twitter.com/AAPA_Seaports
Port Name: American Association of Port Authorities
