Keeping America Competitive: "Critical Commerce Corridors" Would Speed the Flow of Goods for Both International Trade and Domestic Business

This article discusses a proposal by the American Road and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) to create what it calls “Critical Commerce Corridors” (3Cs). They would use funding from the Highway Trust Fund, plus funding sources traditionally used to build railways, highways, and port facilities, along with freight-based user fees. The 3C approach would create a national network of freight corridors that would contain high-speed rail segments, dedicated truck lanes, and other goods movement systems. The types of segments eligible for inclusion would be designated trade corridors, international gateways, access routes to major ports and airports, roadways that carry over-the-road truck traffic in excess of their design specifications, the Interstate Highway System, intermodal connectors, and highway truck bottlenecks as identified by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). The National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) notes that experience elsewhere, notably China, shows that a 15-inch, full-depth asphalt pavement performs under axle loadings three times heavier than those in the U.S. Tests in China included three American designs and two by the Chinese. The freight-based user fee would include a bill-of-lading tax, a weight-mileage-based fee, a federal freight transaction fee, national freight transfer station entrance fees, federal customs fees, tolls where appropriate, and a mileage tax on truck travel.