Alert

WASHINGTON D.C. – U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) today commented on the U.S. Senate passage of a bipartisan six-year highway reauthorization bill, which includes multi-year funding for long-term projects that will improve America’s highways and bridges while creating jobs and boosting the economy.

The bill includes several provisions offered by Blunt. The Senate also passed a short-term extension of highway funding today, allowing the U.S. House of Representatives the appropriate time to discuss and confer on the Senate bill with no interruption of highway funding.

“One of the concerns that I continue to hear from Missouri families, small businesses, and workers is the need for long-term funding certainty in order to jumpstart job creation and growth,” said Blunt. “The bipartisan passage of this highway bill provides more certainty for planners and the industry.

“Missouri is located at the intersection of our nation’s railways, highways, and waterways, making our state an important avenue for commerce. We must do everything we can to ensure our transportation systems are safe, efficient, and reliable. I’m pleased this bipartisan legislation has passed the Senate, and I look forward to the House taking up this important bill to support much-needed long-term transportation projects in Missouri and across our nation,” Blunt concluded.

Blunt Provisions and Amendments Included in the Highway Bill:

Off-System Bridges Amendment

• Senators Blunt’s and Casey’s Off-System Bridges Amendment establishes a dedicated revenue stream for bridges that are not on federal-aid highways or the national highway system, restoring the set aside established in the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (P.L. 112-141). County-owned bridges make up 52% of Missouri’s bridges, and 30% of them are structurally deficient or obsolete.

Track, Railroad, and Infrastructure Network Act

• The bill includes Blunt’s committee-passed TRAIN Act, which will reform the environmental permitting process for rail projects to facilitate a more efficient way to approve rail infrastructure. The bipartisan legislation, cosponsored by Senator Manchin (W.Va.), will also promote additional investment in rail systems without compromising environmental quality.

Bus Hours of Service Study

• Requires a study by the Department of Transportation before moving forward with hours of service rules for motor carriers of passengers. According to the American Bus Association, motor coach travel and tourism supports more than 34,000 jobs and creates $3.8 billion in economic impact in Missouri. This language would protect bus travel from disruption while making sure travelers are safe on the roads.

Emergency Route Working Group

• Creates a working group at the Department of Transportation to address delays caused by state-by-state permitting requirements for special vehicles needed for emergency infrastructure response. The group will include transportation officials, safety groups, and stakeholders affected by special permit restrictions, and will produce a public report with recommendations for quickly and safely issuing state approval of special permits for vehicles involved in emergency recovery.

Positive Train Control (PTC)

• Extends the deadline for full implementation of Positive Train Control (PTC) on a case-by-case basis until 2018 to ensure the deadline is met safely and efficiently. The language also gives the Secretary of Transportation authority to enforce milestones and metrics against freight and passenger railroads implementing the technology.

# # #