Today President Joe Biden visits the Port of Baltimore to deliver remarks on the passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), which will provide more than $550 billion for transportation projects over the next five years. Across the country, freight stakeholders are celebrating the historic level of investment provided under the IIJA to seaports, highways, rail, and other infrastructure critical to the safe, efficient, and reliable movement of goods. This funding – up to $77.9 billion for supply chain infrastructure – is furnished at a time when our networks are challenged to keep pace with demand following decades of underinvestment.

Even as President Biden visits the Port of Baltimore to discuss the region’s freight needs, other freight network components are equally burdened and will benefit from investment through the IIJA. Transportation leaders across the country are praising the passage of this landmark bill: 

"A new $3 billion grant program for railroad crossing eliminations will help reduce collisions, fatalities and injuries and improve reliability at scores of crossings in Southern California located along transcontinental freight rail routes. Significantly increased funding for highway improvements will help ease traffic-clogged roadways and interchanges in the Los Angeles region that are choke points in the nation's highway freight network." –Paul Hubler, CAGTC Chairman and Director of Government and Community Relations, San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments

“Port Tampa Bay is grateful for the passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which includes over $5 billion exclusively for U.S. seaports. The $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill will help keep our port modern and competitive and make great improvements to intermodal transportation. The bill, along with the additional grant allocations, will fund projects that have generational impacts on our regional economy and impact more than 85,000 direct and indirect jobs.” –Paul Anderson, CAGTC Vice Chairman and President and CEO, Port Tampa Bay

“DOT will have a vital center for freight policy and programing under an Assistant Secretary for Freight. Funding programs under IIJA will emphasize serious investment on a multi-modal basis — reducing artificial barriers to the use of funds. The Act makes long term commitments to previously overlooked areas such as port investment and grade separations.” –Mort Downey, CAGTC Founding Chairman and President, Mort Downey Consulting; Chair, U.S. Department of Transportation’s former National Freight Advisory Committee

“The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act represents a transformational investment in the critical infrastructure necessary to move people and goods safely and efficiently. Public agencies will utilize these funds and policy enhancements to deliver needed projects. Importantly, this Act improves federal transportation policy related to the use of public-private partnerships and other forms of alternative delivery. These policies will encourage public agencies to ascertain the most efficient delivery method for each project, considering the full lifecycle of costs, to deliver the best product to the taxpayer.” –Shant Boyajian, Partner, Nossaman LLP

“The successful passage of this infrastructure bill will provide for much needed federal investments in our goods movement ‘system of systems.’ As we have recently been reminded with the supply chain hiccups, the goods movement sector is the endocrine system of our communities; it drives our economic prosperity and delivers the goods to all our communities across America.” –Fran Inman, Senior Vice President, Majestic Realty Co.; Member, U.S. Department of Transportation’s former National Freight Advisory Committee

“The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act represents an historic investment in the nation’s ports and waterways. Dedicated funding through the United States Department of Transportation and formula funds for the State of California freight system, will address many of our long-term solutions, including terminals, logistics support facilities, rail infrastructure, roadway-rail grade separations, highway safety projects, and the expansion of groundbreaking digital infrastructure. This investment not only strengthens Los Angeles and all U.S. ports, but begins the important work of revitalizing the global supply chain as a whole.” –Gene Seroka, Executive Director, Port of Los Angeles

“Passage of the infrastructure bill is a monumental step forward in helping meet the rapidly growing infrastructure needs of one of the most critically important freight networks in the country. As we’ve seen all too vividly recently, the movement of goods into and through Southern California impacts the entire country. We applaud Congress for getting an infrastructure deal done, and freeing up funding that will help us fortify our supply chains now and into the future." –Darin Chidsey, Chief Operating Officer, Southern California Association of Governments

“The national infrastructure bill is the type of transformative federal investment we need to modernize the San Diego region’s transportation system for people and goods movement. SANDAG’s 2021 Regional Plan outlines a vision for reducing traffic congestion, addressing social equity in a meaningful way, and meeting the State of California’s aggressive climate targets and federal clean air standards – and this investment will help us make that vision a reality.” –Catherine Blakespear, SANDAG Chair and Encinitas Mayor