Congressional Freight Panel Reports on Infrastructure

San Pedro — In a report produced Oct. 31, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s Panel on 21st Century Freight Transportation found that significant investment is needed in our freight transportation system.

The group of 11 members of Congress signed off on their 100-plus page report, which included a call to dedicate funding for freight infrastructure, designation of a multimodal freight network and the sustained continuation of a freight-focused Projects of National and Regional Significance competitive grant program.

The Panel on 21st Century Freight Transportation convened in April 2013 and members served for a period of six months before issuing the recommendations. The panel’s six Republicans and five Democrats were tasked with examining the current state of freight transportation and how improving the system would affect the U.S. economy. The group traveled to several freight hubs across the nation, including the Port of Los Angeles, speaking at length with system users, carriers, and providers. The Panel’s recommendations can be accessed here.