AASHTO Congratulates Congress on Passage of the WIIN Act
WASHINGTON – The American Association of State Highway and Transportation officials today congratulated Congress after passage of the Water Infrastructure Improvements Act for the Nation, or WIIN Act which includes the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2016.
“We applaud members of Congress, as well as House and Senate leadership, for finishing work on the WIIN Act and we look forward to President Obama’s quick signature,” said Bud Wright, AASHTO executive director. “AASHTO strongly supports investment in our nation’s network of inland waterways and ports that improve the efficient movement of freight through our nation’s multimodal transportation network. Passage of the WIIN Act is important to state DOTs because, while it is primarily a water resources bill, it also supports important inland waterway transportation and flood control projects that have significant impact on the surface transportation network if they do not move ahead.”
In November, the AASHTO Board of Directors adopted a resolution that urged Congress to pass a water resources bill in 2016, and to get back on a two-year reauthorization cycle in the following ways:
- ensures gradually increasing Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund investment levels each year;
- builds on the FAST act commitment to further invest in the nation’s freight network–both the surface transportation network and the water transportation network;
- increases the federal cost share from 50 percent to 75 percent for projects that increase shipping depths between 45 feet and 50 feet;
- and allows projects in the Inland Waterways Trust Fund pipeline to remain active instead of deauthorizing those projects.
A copy of the resolution is available for download at AASHTO’s website.
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The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) is the “Voice of Transportation” representing State Departments of Transportation in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. AASHTO is a nonprofit, nonpartisan association serving as a catalyst for excellence in transportation. Follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/aashtospeaks.
