Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao said Dec. 5 that the Trump Administration’s massive infrastructure package won’t arrive until next year, possibly after a health care and welfare overhaul. The timeline projection marks yet another delay for the massive infrastructure plan that President Trump had promised as one of his priorities for the first 100 days in office.
Speaking at a POLITICO event in Washington, D.C., Secretary Chao said, "You're going to see it, just not at the original timeframe. The timeline for a package has repeatedly slipped, from fall to after a tax overhaul is done and now possibly after health care and a welfare overhaul.”
Chao said the timeline “shows the dynamics of the legislative calendar. Time on the legislative calendar is the most precious commodity."
NATSO continues to advocate for sustainable solutions to funding infrastructure investment such as increasing the motor fuels tax and urges lawmakers to oppose any efforts that would weaken the federal prohibitions on rest area commercialization or the tolling of existing interstates.
The Trump Administration earlier this year released a 2018 budget proposal that included recommendations to change federal law in a manner harmful to the truckstop and travel plaza industry. Specifically, the budget proposal stated that the Trump Administration would like to "liberalize tolling policy and allow private investment in rest areas."
The President has since said that he is “less excited” about public private partnerships, and the President’s chief economic advisor on Oct. 25 raised the possibility of increasing the federal motor fuels tax next year to help pay for the Administration’s $1 trillion infrastructure plan.
Preserving the long-standing bans on tolling existing Interstates and commercializing Interstate rest areas are critical to the continued success of the travel plaza industry and any business located in close proximity to Interstate highways.
Subscribe to Updates
NATSO provides a breadth of information created to strengthen travel plazas’ ability to meet the needs of the travelling public in an age of disruption. This includes knowledge filled blog posts, articles and publications. If you would like to receive a digest of blog post and articles directly in your inbox, please provide your name, email and the frequency of the updates you want to receive the email digest.