Building up America — Coast to Coast
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INFRASTRUCTURE 2019 Building Up America — Coast to Coast Spending Priorities • Financing • Deregulation A Special Advertising Supplement to The Washington Times Infrastructure 2019 Building Up America — Coast to Coast Table of Contents ROUTES Initiative to boost rural Lessons in success: Nebraska sets examples for transportation infrastructure ................................................ 3 infrastructure legislation ........................................................ 16 Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao sen. deb Fischer Constructive collaboration: Improving infrastructure Closing the digital divide ........................................................ 17 at our National Parks .............................................................. 4 sen. marsha blackburn Interior secretary david l. bernhardt Why would Congress add more dangers to firefighting? ........ 18 America’s Transportation Infrastructure Act: Kevin o’connor Bipartisan, historic, substantial ............................................. 5 sen. John barrasso, m.d., and sen. Tom carper Congress should put aside political theatrics and fix our nation’s infrastructure ................................................ 20 States are meeting the challenge of infrastructure. sen. Kevin cramer Is Washington listening? ........................................................ 6 maryland Gov. larry Hogan For upcoming infrastructure projects, ‘Build Local, Hire Local’ .......................................................... 21 Let’s work together to build a strong market rep. Karen bass for electric transportation ...................................................... 7 Tom Kuhn Bipartisan pipelines bill needs action to keep U.S. energy safe, secure ......................................................... 22 mes I A D+ report card means there’s a lot of work to do .............. 8 rep. rick crawford on T sen. chris van Hollen gt n Critical mining, electrical infrastructure needed to hi Communities need alternatives to driving ............................ 9 meet growing energy demand ................................................ 23 sen. ben cardin rep. paul Gosar, d.d.s. e Was H o T T T Congress must keep rural America in mind Transportation: A lifeline to the vitality of when debating infrastructure ................................................ 10 communities around the nation ............................................. 24 selena shilad and betsy Huber rep. adriano espaillat upplemen s G America’s ‘Marine Highways’ getting ship-shape ................. 12 Addressing infrastructure means investing in water ........... 25 n I mes s sen. James Inhofe rep. dan newhouse TI ti on GT dver n Infrastructure investments will unleash America’s a Strengthening water infrastructure ....................................... 13 HI al sen. John boozman full economic potential ........................................................... 26 I AS rep. clay Higgins W pec e s a TH America’s waterways: Critical to our nation’s | economy and security .............................................................. 14 Soo Locks design, channel deepening plans underway ....... 27 Thomas a. allegretti rep. Jack bergman Tony Hill Larry T. Beasley Thomas P. McDevitt David Dadisman ovember 20 • 2019 ovember n DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING CEO CHAIRMAN GENERAL MANAGER & INTEGRATED SALES Christopher Dolan Joseph E. Teipe, Jr. Patrick Crofoot Advertising Department: PRESIDENT & EXECUTIVE VICE GRAPHICS SUPERVISOR 202-636-3027 EXECUTIVE EDITOR PRESIDENT SPECIAL SECTIONS Special Sections are multipage tabloid products that run in The Washington Times daily newspaper and are posted online and in PDF form onits website. Sponsors and Wednesday • Wednesday advertisers collaborate with The Times’ advertising and marketing departments to highlight a variety of issues and events. Unless otherwise identified, Special Sections 2 are prepared separately and without involvement from the Times’ newsroom and editorial staff. ROUTES Initiative to boost rural transportation infrastructure By Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao y land, water and air, trans- portation infrastructure binds together the United States of America. Every day, Americans take over a billion trips — usually on the nation’s 4 million miles of roads. BRivers, streams and other obstacles are traversed via America’s 616,096 highway bridges. a s Federal resources focus on the subset pecial of U.S. roads deemed most important for national mobility, commerce and ILLUSTRATION BY GREG GROESCH a defense. Of the 2.5 million lane miles of dvertising roads that span this system, 59 percent economy and all Americans’ quality of support the nation’s critical rural trans- addressing these needs. are in rural areas. About 7 percent of the life. Nearly half of all truck vehicle miles portation infrastructure. The U.S. Department of Transporta- traffic on these roads occurred on poor travelled (VMT) occur on rural roads, This USDOT effort will help rural tion’s newly formed ROUTES Council quality pavement. Sixty percent of the and two-thirds of rail freight originates communities access federal transpor- will soon be underway. Beginning in s 48,000-mile Interstate Highway System in rural areas. tation grant programs. It will provide January, USDOT representatives will upplement is in rural areas. participate in conferences throughout Deteriorating infrastructure is having the country to interact closely with rural repercussions. Aging bridges in need Beginning in January, USDOT representatives will communities on their transportation of upgrading negatively impact freight participate in conferences throughout the country infrastructure challenges and needs. to and people. Eighty percent of bridges Transportation infrastructure is t THE WASHINGTON TIMES THE WASHINGTON to interact closely with rural communities on their he in the U.S. rated to be in poor condi- generally an arena in which there is bi- tion are located in rural areas. Freight- transportation infrastructure challenges and needs. partisan concern and agreement. While Washington hauling truck drivers in rural areas often urban communities have transportation contend with lengthy detours to find a needs, they are better equipped to seek bridge able to handle the weight, which The U.S. Department of Transporta- user-friendly information to these com- out federal resources to address their consumes fuel and time. tion (USDOT) during this administra- munities to assist in applying for discre- needs, while rural areas often lack the t Rural infrastructure is not just for tion has directed substantially more tionary grants. It will improve sharing capacity to fully compete for federal imes the benefit of rural residents. Forty-four federal grant funds to rural projects, of rural data and analysis to achieve transportation infrastructure fund- | percent of passenger vehicle traffic in primarily through the BUILD and national transportation infrastructure ing. The ROUTES Initiative and other Wednesday rural areas is urban residents travel- INFRA programs. And the Rural Project goals. The ROUTES Initiative will in- administration efforts will provide rural ling. So it should concern everyone that Initiative was implemented so that more volve not just highway infrastructure but areas with increased access to data to the fatality rate on rural roads is twice rural project sponsors would utilize the airports and transit as well. improve planning and development of that on urban roads. Only 19 percent federal Transportation Infrastructure Transportation can be a significant grant applications. And all of America • of Americans live in rural areas, yet 46 Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) challenge for seniors, people with dis- will be better off for it. n percent of the nation’s highway fatalities loan program. But we recognize that it abilities or lower incomes and other ovember occur there. can be difficult, time-consuming and -ex residents. Public transportation is for Elaine L. Chao is the 18th U.S. Secre- Safety is reason enough to focus more pensive for rural communities to apply many a lifeline to necessities, includ- tary of Transportation. She previously resources on improving rural infra- for these grants. ing a workplace, health care, groceries served as U.S. Secretary of Labor from 20 structure, yet there are many additional On Oct. 8, 2019, at the annual meet- and other vital services. That is why 81 2001 to early 2009 and is the first Asian- • compelling motivations. ing of the American Association of State percent of U.S. counties provide rural American woman in U.S. history to be 2019 Rural transportation networks — Highway and Transportation Officials, transit service. But these rural transit appointed to the President’s cabinet. which bring manufactured products, I announced the Rural Opportunities services face unique challenges com- agriculture and other commodities to Use Transportation for Economic pared to urban mass transit systems and to markets — are vital to our nation’s Success (ROUTES) Initiative to better so the ROUTES Initiative will also be 3 Constructive collaboration: Improving infrastructure at our National Parks miles of paved roads, 17,000 miles of and enjoyable for visitors of today and than a century because of its employees, trails and 24,000 buildings that service tomorrow. This hinges on our ability network of allies, advisers and, per- national park visitors. Although the Park to infuse our park system with produc- haps most of all, partners. Addressing