CHAIRMAN SHUSTER RELEASES INFRASTRUCTURE PACKAGE DRAFT DISCUSSION BILL
On July 23, Chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Bill Shuster (R-Pa.), released a “draft discussion” bill on an infrastructure investment package. While Chairman Shuster did release this bill on his own, it is meant to spur bipartisan discussion on the underinvestment in the aging infrastructure of America. It is hoped that this discussion will include congressional Republicans and Democrats, the Administration, and the transportation infrastructure industry. This plan does keep transit in the Highway Trust Fund (HTF), but it also proposes that all HTF recipients, including certain public transportation bus and rail operating agencies, contribute to the trust fund as well.
To view the Chairman’s Vision Statement, please click here. To view the Section by Section summary, please click here. To view the bill text in its entirety, please click here. APTA is still reviewing the bill and will be sure to keep members apprised of the progress of this discussion draft.
FRA REPORT TO CONGRESS ON PTC IMPLEMENTATION PROGRESS
Pursuant to 49 U.S.C. § 20157(d), the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) must provide a report to Congress on railroads’ progress toward implementation of positive train control (PTC) systems by July 1, 2018. The report was released this week and most information is based on the Quarterly PTC Progress Reports submitted by railroads to FRA for Quarter 1 of 2018, which includes data current as of March 31, 2018. The report also provides snapshots of the progress and plans in place for the most at-risk railroads. Many of these profiles include more recent information than what was provided by the Quarter 1 PTC Progress Reports. Please find the report here.
