08-R173

2008 -- H 8197

Enacted 04/23/08

H O U S E R E S O L U T I O N

IN SUPPORT OF A NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM

Introduced By: Representatives Kilmartin, Fox, Watson, Shanley, and Costantino

Date Introduced: April 23, 2008

     WHEREAS, A robust national transportation system is essential to greater energy

security and broad-based economic growth; and

     WHEREAS, Achieving these fundamental, independent goals is in the national interest;

and

     WHEREAS, The national transportation system is an essential public service; and

     WHEREAS, Transportation financing has long been achieved through the equitable

application of user fees at the federal, state and local level; and

     WHEREAS, The public sector recognizes that the private sector has much to offer to the

delivery of safe, modern and effective transportation options; and

     WHEREAS, Public-private partnerships can play a role in the enhancement of existing

public infrastructure and provide new options and unconventional alternatives to traditional

funding; and

     WHEREAS, Technological applications, like open road tolling, can greatly enhance safe

and efficient transportation; and

     WHEREAS, State, provincial, commonwealth, territorial and federal governments must

play a central role in funding surface transportation; and

     WHEREAS, The broad social, economic and environmental impacts of a mobile society

demands the provision of effective and efficient, multimodal, transportation infrastructure

remains a core function of national, state, provincial and local governments; and

     WHEREAS, The Council of State Governments Eastern Regional Conference

(CSG/ERC) leadership is alarmed at the Federal Government's determined effort to reduce the

federal role in surface transportation investment; and

     WHEREAS, Transportation professionals indicate that maintenance applications are

critical at certain points in the infrastructures lifestyle and thus the nation must invest now to

ensure that critical structures such as transit facilities, freight systems, highways and bridges can

be maintained before inflation and engineering decay are such that it becomes cost prohibitive to

make a sustainable investment; and

     WHEREAS, The policy of financial disinvestment in Amtrak compromises the

company's ability to provide frequent, on time service, maintain the Northeast Corridor and rail

link to Canada, provide for mobility options in a time of national disaster or emergency, and can

help provide essential services to smaller towns and cities; and

     WHEREAS, A national policy of disinvestment in surface transportation imperils major

investments in much needed structural links to Canada such as the Peace Bridge as well as efforts

to battle congestion and rural economics opportunities; and

     WHEREAS, The Council of State Governments Eastern Regional Conference will

undertake a rigorous re-examination of our region's own level of effort to finance investment in

such a system exploring existing and new forms of multi-state collaborative, institutional

arrangements, the use of technology and the relative advantage of creating a Northeast Corridor

Investment Bank; now, therefore be it

     RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island and

Providence Plantations in conjunction with the Council of State Governments Eastern Regional

Conference hereby urge congress to consider the immeasurable value of a national transportation

system and thus to summarily reject a strategy disinvestment in the nation's transportation

infrastructure and, as historically occurred, embark on a joint venture with the states to create a

sustainable surface transportation system; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and he hereby is authorized and directed to

transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to the Rhode Island Congressional Delegation in

the United States Congress.

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LC02814

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