AASHTO Journal, 28 March 2014
Five major corporations joined forces this week to form an alliance in the name of transportation infrastructure investment, on which those corporations say they depend.
The new Alliance for American Competitiveness (AFAC) was forged this week from a partnership among BNSF Railway, Caterpillar, Dow, Honeywell, and UPS. Recognizing the need to adequately move goods and services along America’s transportation network to foster economic growth, the group is calling on Congress to invest in transportation infrastructure to “lay the foundation for long-term economic growth and job creation over the next 30, 40, even 50 years.”
“The Alliance for American Competitiveness is a group of leading American companies that rely on a strong and efficient infrastructure system to operate and expand their businesses,” according to the AFAC website. “Our nation’s infrastructure is not just about maintaining roads, bridges, rail and waterways. It’s about how we integrate and modernize our infrastructure so that businesses can have an effective and seamless supply chain to remain competitive with the global marketplace. This is critical to both short and long term economic growth.”
During this period before a surface transportation reauthorization measure to follow up MAP-21, AFAC said it will remind Congress and the public how strategic infrastructure investment impacts the nation’s competitiveness globally, encourage lawmakers to commit to investing in America’s infrastructure, and advocate for policies that support economic growth and job opportunities.
“Quick delivery to our customers is critical, and requires a modern road, rail, water and air transportation system,” said Caterpillar CEO Douglas Oberhelman on AFAC’s website. “While other nations are investing hundreds of billions of dollars in infrastructure, the United States has been under-investing in infrastructure for decades. As a result, we are risking our competitive advantage. The Alliance for American Competitiveness will work with Congress to pass legislation to make the necessary improvements to our nation’s infrastructure so that our country will continue to prosper in the global economy.”
Additional information on AFAC is available at TheAFAC.org.