BUSINESS
RELATING TO GOVERNMENT
INSIGHTS ON U . S . LEGISLATIVE ISSUES AND INDUSTRY TOPICS
The road to an infrastructure package
THROUGHOUT DONALD TRUMP ’ S 2016 presidential campaign , and following his election and inauguration , a plan for an infrastructure package has been discussed frequently . High-speed rail , highway improvements and other travel-related focal points have been tossed around , but no exact plan has been released . At a time when the U . S . transportation system is often touted as broken and crumbling , infrastructure is a focus that Democrats and Republicans alike , representing both urban and rural constituents , can support .
Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao also has not yet released many details of an infrastructure plan . The few comments Chao has made while giving talks or interviews since her Senate confirmation in January describe a Trump administration-led infrastructure package that will 1 ) focus on speeding the process for government-funded projects and 2 ) offer incentives for public-private partnerships .
Secretary Chao has stated that the infrastructure plan will be unveiled later in 2017 , meaning it is likely that the Trump administration will continue to prioritize health care and tax reform before directing attention to infrastructure .
While Washington awaits a comprehensive package from the administration , infrastructure and transportation improvements are still being made throughout the country . In December 2015 , then-President Barack Obama signed the Fixing America ’ s Surface Transportation Act into law . The FAST Act was the first time in over a decade that Republicans and Democrats had come together in a bipartisan compromise to provide long-term funding for surface transportation throughout the United States . The bill , which passed
359 to 65 in the House and 83 to 16 in the current and future needs of citizens the Senate , consisted of $ 305 billion in and visitors by creating the National funding over five years : fiscal years 2016 Advisory Committee on Travel and through 2020 .
Tourism Infrastructure . This group provides recommendations to the trans-
Among the wide variety of surfacetransportation authorization and funding , the FAST Act focused on improving a wide variety of highly qualified travel
portation secretary and is made up of
mobility on America ’ s highways . The act and tourism representatives , including authorized ( through September 2020 ) many from NTA-member companies . the Highway Trust Fund , which is a This committee provides a channel for source of funding for most of the bill ’ s stakeholder input on vital transportation and infrastructure decisions . programs . As a part of this highwaycentric focus , the FAST Act created
The FAST Act also took into consideration the level at which tourists rely on funding programs to maintain critical transportation projects that are aimed various transportation means by creating improvements and enhancements at decreasing congestion in certain areas so that drivers can utilize highways that are safer and less congested . and funding planned to roads , high-
to intermodal transportation . With fixes
ways , bridges , walkways and bicycles lanes , traveling to and within tourism centers is simpler and safer , making for a more enjoyable visitor experience .
While the details and timing of a Trump administration infrastructure package remain unsettled , it is vital that NTA remains engaged in the political process and continues to show the economic importance of tourism and the
While concentrating on road improvements , the legislation also created improvements for bridges , bicycling and walking . This means that projects address not only roadway and highway improvements , but also other modes of transport that affect and better the lives of millions of Americans .
Aside from highway funding , the FAST Act also took into consideration
CC FLICKR / AOTARO : bit . ly / 2qAlybM rate at which the nation ’ s infrastructure system is utilized for travel , and to point out where improvements or changes are still needed .
Travel and tourism play an important role in the lives of Americans and to this country ’ s economy . As plans for a multibillion-dollar infrastructure plan come together , through both the administration and Congress , investments in improving the way people travel here will continue to have a positive effect on the tourism industry .
Signal Group is a Washington , D . C ., lobbying firm retained by NTA to advise members about travel-related issues and legislation .
10 June 2017