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Update: House Committee Releases Infrastructure Bill with No Truck Size or Weight Increases

(Coalition Against Bigger Trucks, June 5, 2020) The House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee (T&I) yesterday released its version of the surface transportation reauthorization bill and there were no increases in truck size or weight included. This comes on the heels of 82 Members of Congress signing a letter to T&I Chairman Peter DeFazio, asking that no bigger truck legislation be included.

The “Investing in a New Vision for the Environment and Surface Transportation in America Act”, otherwise known as the INVEST in America Act, is expected to be voted on in the T&I committee June 17. A vote by the entire House has been scheduled for July 1.

Over the next two weeks, we expect supporters of both longer and heavier trucks to work to gather support for amendments that could be offered during committee mark-up or floor vote. We will keep you posted as we learn more.

But for now, this is very good news. Rest assured, CABT will do everything we can to keep the INVEST in America Act free of heavier and longer truck language.

Thanks!

By Jamie Foster, ago

News from the Coalition Against Bigger Trucks

(June 2, 2020) The Coalition Against Bigger Trucks supported an effort led by Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Massachusetts, Chairman of the House Rules Committee, and Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Michigan. They asked Members of Congress to sign a joint letter to House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee Chairman Peter DeFazio, D-Oregon, opposing any increases in truck size or weight limits. Eighty-two members of the majority party, an impressive number by any measure, signed the letter.

CABT would like to thank Mr. McGovern and Ms. Stevens for their leadership and commitment to public safety and infrastructure preservation by keeping these bigger, more dangerous trucks off of our roads. We would also like to thank the 80 other Members who signed the letter. To see a complete list of signers, click here. CABT would also like to express our sincere appreciation to our law enforcement and local government supporters from all across the country who contacted their Members of Congress asking them to add their names to this letter.

As the T&I Committee looks to pass a major infrastructure bill in the coming weeks, this letter sends a strong message from the House majority that the legislation needs to be free of any bigger truck language. Also, a bill free of heavier and longer trucks will be a real victory for your bottom line.

Once again, we are thankful for the leadership of Reps. McGovern and Stevens and honored to support their efforts. We will continue to work with our railroad industry partners in educating Members of Congress throughout the year on the perils of bigger trucks.

The Coalition Against Bigger Trucks and the rail industry have worked side-by-side to fight every proposal for national truck size and weight increases – and we won’t stop now. This teamwork has kept our roads safer and the rail industry stronger.
By Jamie Foster, ago

California Transportation Commission Dedicates Over $17 Billion for State Highway ‘Fix-It-First’ Projects

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Today at its regularly scheduled meeting, the California Transportation Commission approved $17.4 billion for nearly 900 projects contained in the 2020 State Highway Operation and Protection Program (SHOPP). The SHOPP is a four-year, “fix-it-first” program that funds repair and preservation projects, safety improvements, and some operational improvements on the state highway system.

Full Press Release

By Jamie Foster, ago