Building the transportation system of the future
Championing a modern, resilient transportation system through partnership, policy and long-term investment
By Rodney Davis, Head of Government Affairs | United States Chamber of Commerce
Transportation systems perform at their best when they connect people, enable economic growth and increase access. In a rapidly changing global economy, transportation infrastructure serves as a foundation for long-term competitiveness.
How can the United States create a transportation system that not only responds to today’s needs, but supports the country’s economic strengths for decades to come? Part of the answer lies in creating the policy conditions for sustained investment. A robust surface transportation reauthorization that provides funding certainty and advances a more predictable permitting system can help position the country for growth, while ensuring that transportation networks continue to evolve and modernize.
Modernizing our federal permitting process
A modern transportation system requires processes that can deliver impactful projects with clarity and certainty. That is why the U.S. Chamber of Commerce — along with a coalition of hundreds of national, state and regional entities — supports efforts to modernize the permitting process.
At the heart of permitting reform is predictability. Private sector companies and their public partners make long-term infrastructure decisions based on their confidence in the scope, timing and durability of project approvals. When those expectations are unclear, uncertainty can delay investment, increase costs and make it harder to advance projects that strengthen mobility and economic competitiveness. Predictability is especially important for public-private partnerships, which have helped accelerate major infrastructure projects across the country by aligning public needs with private capital and expertise.
Modernization also means coordination. Federal reviews can be rigorous without being unnecessarily sequential or duplicative. Allowing agencies to conduct reviews concurrently with clear timelines and aligned decision-making would create a more concise, coordinated permitting process while preserving the essential safeguards that communities expect.
America knows how to do big things: we built an interstate highway system that stretches nearly 50,000 miles from coast to coast. Meeting the demands of the decades ahead will require the same sense of national purpose, paired with efficient processes that can keep pace with our ambitions.
Modernizing how we fund our roads
Modernizing America’s transportation infrastructure also requires modernizing how we pay for it. The federal funding model that helped build the Interstate Highway System has served the country well, but it is increasingly out of step with how vehicles use the system today.
The Highway Trust Fund was established in 1956 to support construction of the Interstate Highway System, and for decades the federal gas tax served as a reliable way to fund that work. But, the transportation landscape has changed. Vehicles have become more fuel-efficient, powertrains are evolving and drivers contribute less in federal fuel taxes, even as the need to maintain and modernize the nation’s infrastructure continues to grow.
The U.S. Chamber’s recently announced user fee proposal offers a promising path forward with the potential to reliably fund the Highway Trust Fund and support America’s infrastructure future:
- Eliminate the federal tax on gasoline and diesel fuel purchases:Â When people fill their gas tanks, they would pay only for the cost of the fuel and any state-levied tax, but zero federal tax.
- Eliminate the Federal Excise Tax (FET) on new heavy commercial vehicles:Â This step would end the 12% federal tax on new heavy vehicles, heavy trucks, trailers, semitrailer chassis and tractors for highway use.
- Establish a new annual vehicle user fee: This fee would be based solely on a vehicle’s weight, regardless of its powertrain type or fuel economy (most states title their vehicles by weight rather than by engine type).
For a typical vehicle in the United States, the annual fee would be approximately $135. For heavier passenger vehicles, it would be closer to $165. This approach would help reduce reliance on fluctuating fuel consumption as the basis for federal transportation revenue. It also would bring electric and other vehicle types into the system through a consistent structure rather than treating them through separate tax mechanisms.
In that sense, this proposal is a modernization of the user-pays principle for a changing transportation system. By creating a more stable and broadly applicable funding framework, it can help rebuild and sustain the Highway Trust Fund while giving policymakers a path that is more transparent and more aligned with modern mobility.
Legislation for the future
America’s global competitiveness and economic vitality depend on a transportation system that is modern, responsive and resilient. With the current surface transportation reauthorization set to expire on September 30, the nation would be better served by a new, forward-looking authorization bill enacted before that deadline than by one or more short-term extensions that simply prolong uncertainty for states and private-sector infrastructure investors.
A revitalized Highway Trust Fund, supported by fairer user fees and paired with a modernized permitting process, would help deliver the transportation system America needs to sustain its global leadership. Just as importantly, it would help ensure that the benefits of a stronger, more connected economy are shared broadly in the decades ahead.
Building for what's next
Looking ahead, the next surface transportation authorization represents an opportunity to align vision with action. A forward-looking authorization can provide the stability and clarity needed for states, communities and private partners to invest with confidence and deliver projects that will shape the future of mobility.
Paired with thoughtful evolution in both permitting and funding, it can help create a transportation system that is more responsive, more resilient and better positioned to meet the needs of a dynamic economy.
At its core, advancing American infrastructure is about unlocking opportunity. By working collaboratively across public and private sectors, the nation can continue building a system that connects people, powers progress and sustains global leadership for decades to come.
