September 10, 2020: Written by Anthony J. Vizzoni, Esq.
The United States Department of Transportation (DOT) made history on September 3, 2020 by unveiling the National Freight Strategic Plan (NFSP).
The DOT developed the NFSP through a multi-agency effort involving freight stakeholders in both the public and private sectors, with the intent to boost the U.S. economy by streamlining the U.S. multimodal freight system through significant investments in infrastructure and reductions in regulations.
According to a statement issued by Elaine L. Chao, U.S. Secretary of Transportation: “As freight demand continues to grow and shifting trends strain parts of the freight system, the Department seeks to lay out a strategic plan to maintain and improve the competiveness of America’s freight system.”
As demands for freight increase, and recognizing its significance to the U.S. economy, it is vital that investments in infrastructure and operational improvements be made to support the U.S. freight industry and that regulatory and other barriers to the freight industry be eliminated. To help overcome these barriers, in 2008, the Government Accountability Office recommended that the Secretary of Transportation release a national freight strategy that defines the federal role in, and develops a national strategy for, freight transportation in order to improve freight mobility throughout the U.S. In section 8001 of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act, Congress required the establishment of the NFSP. Read more