In The News

Transportation: Researchers talk about how to pay for it

Any time that advisory groups like the Transportation Research Board convene and high-ranking government officials are there, it’s an occasion for truckers to influence policy.

In mid-May, the TRB sponsored a conference titled “Transportation Finance: Forging a Sustainable Future Now!” in New Orleans.

Although the head count of trucking stakeholders wasn’t that impressive, OOIDA’s Director of Legislative Affairs Mike Joyce attended the conference and actively participated in a discussion on issues that clearly affect professional truckers.

The conference provided a forum for exploring options for keeping the money rolling in to pay for surface transportation. A handful of top transportation experts were on hand to present the latest research and policy analysis related to transportation finance. 

FHWA Administrator Victor Mendez was a keynote speaker.

Joyce spoke with Mendez following the administrator’s presentation regarding a tax on vehicle miles traveled – also known as VMT.

“It was a good opportunity to speak to Mendez about some issues and share the trucker’s point of view about the Highway Trust Fund, the proper use of revenue generated from truckers, and what we at OOIDA believe the proper use of funding should be … as well as our concerns with VMT,” said Joyce.

Joyce reported that many in attendance were academics, and what was clearly lacking was representation from more highway user organizations.

The TRB is a division of the National Research Council, which serves as an independent adviser to the president, the Congress and federal agencies.

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