NATSO Files Comments on America’s Great Corridors of Commerce Initiative
NATSO on Oct. 2 filed comments with the U.S. Department of Transportation in response to its Request for Information regarding America’s Great Corridors of Commerce initiative.
Under the AGCC, U.S. DOT aims to collocate utility infrastructure along highway and rail corridors to address energy and infrastructure needs. AGCC is an applicant-driven process in which right-of-way owners propose corridors for strategic colocation of utility infrastructure in the transportation right-of-way through a public private partnership model.
In its comments, NATSO appreciated that U.S. DOT is not considering approaches that revisit the longstanding restrictions on commercial activity within the Interstate right-of-way. NATSO also supported the use of a Corridor Manager in the AGCC model to coordinate development and management of utility infrastructure within a designated corridor.
NATSO further encouraged U.S. DOT to harness the input and perspective of the truck stop and travel center as it considers the AGCC model and the proposed process for facilitating the colocation of utility infrastructure within transportation rights-of-way to ensure travel centers can benefit from colocation projects.
“In our experience, well-intentioned individuals pursuing public-private partnership’s are occasionally tempted to revisit restrictions on commercial activity within the right-of-way as a shortcut to attracting investment or addressing infrastructure needs, including electric vehicle charging and truck parking,” NATSO wrote. “That shortcut is a facade. If those longstanding restrictions were revisited, the value of off-highway real estate would plummet and the incentive for private investment along highway freight corridors would diminish substantially. The off-highway business community strongly opposes revisiting those restrictions.”
A central feature of the AGCC model is the use of a “Corridor Manager” to coordinate development and management of utility infrastructure within a designated corridor. Under DOT’s proposed framework, a right-of-way owner may select a Corridor Manager to serve as the central project leader, with responsibilities that may include business development, design, permitting, financing, construction, operations, maintenance, and coordination with utilities seeking access to the corridor.
NATSO supports using this framework to facilitate appropriate utility build out, including electrical transmission, water transmission, and broadband projects.
“We appreciate that DOT recognizes that such Corridor Managers will have no authority to violate or in any way circumvent longstanding restrictions on commercial activity within the highway right-of-way,” NATSO wrote.
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