IBTTA Joins Secretary Foxx & 11 Former Transportation Chiefs Calling on Congress to Adequately Fund Nation’s Infrastructure

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, July 22, 2014
CONTACT: Kristofer Eisenla, LUNA+EISENLA media
[email protected] | 202-670-5747 (mobile)

Long-Term, Bold and Gutsy Funding Solutions such as Lifting the Ban on Interstate Tolling & Increasing the Gas Tax Deserve Full Consideration

WASHINGTON, DC – The International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA), the worldwide association representing toll facility owners and operators and businesses that serve them, today joined U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Anthony Foxx and 11 former DOT Secretaries in supporting a call for Congress to find consensus on a long-term solution to funding our nation’s infrastructure. 

The nation’s current and former transportation chiefs released a joint letter yesterday stating:

“We are hopeful that Congress appears willing to avert the immediate crisis.  But we want to be clear: This bill will not ‘fix’ America’s transportation system. For that, we need a much larger and longer-term investment.  On this, all twelve of us agree.”

Patrick D. Jones, Executive Director and CEO of IBTTA, echoed the call for long-term action by stating:

“The joint letter released yesterday by our nation’s transportation chiefs is a profile in courage and should serve as an example of how public servants from all stripes and backgrounds can come together for the good of our country’s future. 

“No one solution will serve as the silver bullet to fix our nation’s sagging roads, highways and bridges.  We need many good ideas and consensus across the political aisle to achieve a long-term plan that adequately funds our country’s transportation system and gives states the flexibility they need to address their unique challenges.  

“From the gutsy proposal by Senators Murphy and Corker to increase the federal gasoline and diesel taxes to keep the federal Highway Trust Fund from going broke, to the Obama Administration’s historic proposal to lift the ban on interstate tolling to help states reconstruct their interstate highways, all viable options should receive full consideration.

“We look forward to working with both Houses of Congress and the Obama Administration to forge a long-term transportation plan that promotes safety and productivity on our highways and provides a sustainable, predictable, long-term source of funding for the federal highway program.”

In 2013, IBTTA launched Moving America Forward, a public awareness campaign that highlights the benefits of tolling to policy-makers, the media, and other interested parties. For additional information on the campaign, including fact-sheets, background documents and other materials, please click here.

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About IBTTA
The International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA) is the worldwide association for the owners and operators of toll facilities and the businesses that serve them. Founded in 1932, IBTTA has members in more than 20 countries on six continents. Through advocacy, thought leadership and education, members are implementing state-of-the-art, innovative user-based transportation financing solutions to address the critical infrastructure challenges of the 21st century. For more information, visit www.ibtta.org or join us on Twitter @IBTTA or #TollRoads.