The Intelligent Transportation Society of America (560 ITS America) and the Teamsters have given their support to the Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2015 (the STRR Act), which was overwhelmingly approved by the US House of Representatives after three days of debate.
The bipartisan, multi-year surface transportation bill to reauthorise and reform federal highway, transit, and highway safety programs helps improve US surface transportation infrastructure, refocuses programs on addressing national priorities, provides more flexibility and certainty for states and local governments, accelerates project delivery, maintains a strong commitment to safety, and promotes innovation to make the transportation system and programs more effective.
“Today the House voted to give our infrastructure and our economy a much needed shot in the arm,” Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster said. “The STRR Act provides strong reforms and policies to help us improve America’s transportation system, and now we can get to work on resolving the differences with the Senate bill and carry a final measure over the goal line.”
ITS America president and CEO Regina Hopper said, “It has been 10 years since Congress last passed a long-term transportation bill. The iPhone, Android phones were not part of everyday life. Mobile apps providing real-time traffic information, adaptive traffic signals, smart parking systems and big data analytics were futuristic concepts.”
“The Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2015, passed by the US House of Representatives today, recognizes that intelligent transportation systems (ITS) are a vital driver in creating a safer, smarter, more efficient and convenient transportation future.”
“The Act provides critical funding for research and development of next generation innovations while accelerating the adoption of new and existing technologies that are making our roads and vehicles safer, reducing traffic congestion, enabling new mobility options, and modernizing our transportation network to meet current and future demands. ITS America’s members thank Chairman Bill Shuster, Ranking Member Peter DeFazio, and all of their colleagues who worked tirelessly within a difficult funding environment to pass a bipartisan bill that recognizes and encourages innovation in transportation.”
Teamsters general president Jim Hoffa thanked Bill Shuster and ranking member Peter DeFazio for their leadership on the legislation, saying, "A bipartisan collection of lawmakers came together today to back a long-term plan for transportation that will help give state and local governments the certainty they need to move forward on some our nation's most important transportation projects for years to come. As part of the process, they rightfully rejected a provision that would have allowed trucks carrying up to 91,000 pounds of cargo to travel nationwide. However, the Teamsters remain extremely concerned with their inclusion of overly-broad and dangerous language which would pre-empt state meal and rest break laws that protect the working conditions of commercial drivers.
"But as lawmakers in the House and Senate move to conference to work out differences in their bills before funding runs out on Nov. 20, we must insist that lawmakers not eliminate meal and rest break provisions that allow truckers to receive a much-needed respite while going about the rigors of their jobs. They should also remove language which would directly hinder the ability of drivers who are paid on a piece rate basis to receive the full wages they deserve for a hard day's work.
"America needs well-rested truckers on the road. Too many families have experienced firsthand what happens when they don't. Keeping that provision in place, combined with a new six-year transportation bill, will provide a brighter future for the travelling public."
The bipartisan, multi-year surface transportation bill to reauthorise and reform federal highway, transit, and highway safety programs helps improve US surface transportation infrastructure, refocuses programs on addressing national priorities, provides more flexibility and certainty for states and local governments, accelerates project delivery, maintains a strong commitment to safety, and promotes innovation to make the transportation system and programs more effective.
“Today the House voted to give our infrastructure and our economy a much needed shot in the arm,” Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster said. “The STRR Act provides strong reforms and policies to help us improve America’s transportation system, and now we can get to work on resolving the differences with the Senate bill and carry a final measure over the goal line.”
ITS America president and CEO Regina Hopper said, “It has been 10 years since Congress last passed a long-term transportation bill. The iPhone, Android phones were not part of everyday life. Mobile apps providing real-time traffic information, adaptive traffic signals, smart parking systems and big data analytics were futuristic concepts.”
“The Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2015, passed by the US House of Representatives today, recognizes that intelligent transportation systems (ITS) are a vital driver in creating a safer, smarter, more efficient and convenient transportation future.”
“The Act provides critical funding for research and development of next generation innovations while accelerating the adoption of new and existing technologies that are making our roads and vehicles safer, reducing traffic congestion, enabling new mobility options, and modernizing our transportation network to meet current and future demands. ITS America’s members thank Chairman Bill Shuster, Ranking Member Peter DeFazio, and all of their colleagues who worked tirelessly within a difficult funding environment to pass a bipartisan bill that recognizes and encourages innovation in transportation.”
Teamsters general president Jim Hoffa thanked Bill Shuster and ranking member Peter DeFazio for their leadership on the legislation, saying, "A bipartisan collection of lawmakers came together today to back a long-term plan for transportation that will help give state and local governments the certainty they need to move forward on some our nation's most important transportation projects for years to come. As part of the process, they rightfully rejected a provision that would have allowed trucks carrying up to 91,000 pounds of cargo to travel nationwide. However, the Teamsters remain extremely concerned with their inclusion of overly-broad and dangerous language which would pre-empt state meal and rest break laws that protect the working conditions of commercial drivers.
"But as lawmakers in the House and Senate move to conference to work out differences in their bills before funding runs out on Nov. 20, we must insist that lawmakers not eliminate meal and rest break provisions that allow truckers to receive a much-needed respite while going about the rigors of their jobs. They should also remove language which would directly hinder the ability of drivers who are paid on a piece rate basis to receive the full wages they deserve for a hard day's work.
"America needs well-rested truckers on the road. Too many families have experienced firsthand what happens when they don't. Keeping that provision in place, combined with a new six-year transportation bill, will provide a brighter future for the travelling public."
