On December 4, the United States House of Representatives and Senate overwhelmingly passed a five-year, $305 billion transportation funding bill. The legislation has been sent to President Barack Obama, who has indicated he will sign it. This action finally provides the certainty that NAFA Fleet Management Association has been advocating for in the wake of several years of stopgap funding reprieves.
“This has been a very long time in coming,” said NAFA Fleet Management Association CEO Phillip E. Russo, CAE, “But the United States has a long-term transportation funding option, and fleet professionals and anyone who relies on U.S. infrastructure can finally breathe a sigh of relief.”
The Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act won approval in the House in a 359 to 65 vote. It passed in the Senate by an 83 to 16 margin. The funding is proposed to be used for road infrastructure projects and bridge repair, as well as to address issues with highway traffic bottleneck instances. Further, the bill calls for the creation of a Department of Transportation working group to improve permitting and route designation for vehicles involved in emergency response and recovery. This addition has drawn cautious praise from utility fleets which were looking for a more ambitious solution. This effort is viewed as a tentative initial step in the right direction.
“NAFA is pleased that legislators have seen to the inclusion of language that will bolster sustainable practices,” added Russo. “The FAST Act calls for national electric vehicle charging, hydrogen, propane, and natural gas fueling corridors. This is tremendous news for fleets which have been ready to move forward with sustainable practices — as mapped out by NAFA’s Sustainable Fleet Accreditation Program — but have been hesitant because the infrastructure didn’t allow for it. With the passage of this legislation, the United States is poised to take a confident step forward.”
The costs of infrastructure damage and decay are significant to the business world, not only in maintenance and repair costs, but in increased devaluation of vehicles. Further, due to road, bridge, and tunnel closures due to damage, traffic congestion and detours contribute to lost productivity that significantly affect the business world’s bottom line. An increase of vehicles stuck in traffic wastes fuel and increases emissions into the atmosphere. With final approval, the work can begin on addressing these challenges and providing certainty for fleets and civilian drivers alike.
“This is quite the holiday gift for businesses and organizations,” Russo concluded. “NAFA commends U.S. legislators for coming together and seeing this effort through.”
