Tolling Industry Commends President Biden’s Pledge for ‘Infrastructure Decade’ - Statement on State of the Union

Urges Multi-Level Approach to Infrastructure Investment 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In response to President Biden’s first State of the Union Address tonight, the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA), the worldwide association for the owners and operators of toll facilities and the businesses that serve them, offered this reaction. 

“We applaud President Biden tonight for highlighting the bipartisan action to improve and invest in America's transportation infrastructure and for remaining committed to those efforts,” said Patrick Jones, Executive Director and CEO of IBTTA. “President Biden said it all when he remarked, ‘this is our moment.’ We have a chance as a nation, after the bipartisan success of last year’s infrastructure bill, to truly remake the American landscape in a way that promotes greater equity, reduces greenhouse gas emissions and creates more jobs for more American families. As the President said, our infrastructure is currently ranked 13^th in the world, but it should be ranked #1. To get it there, and keep it there, we encourage the Administration to go full steam ahead on the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. In addition, we encourage the Administration to leverage the capabilities of the tolling industry – which invests nearly $25 billion a year in road infrastructure through toll finance – to supplement the great work of the Federal-aid highway program. To make America’s infrastructure the envy of the world again, we need a multi-level approach that includes robust federal funding as well as toll financing at the state and local level that advances the user payment principle, sustainability, and equity.” 

To speak with Patrick Jones or any of IBTTA’s members working daily in states and localities throughout the country, please contact Jennifer Walsh at [email protected] or 202.599.5474 or visit www.ibtta.org.

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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 follow us on Twitter @IBTTA.