Economy

Think traffic makes your commute worse? Imagine trying to ship 15 tons of lettuce to supermarkets or a truckload of microprocessors to a computer manufacturer. The traffic congestion that robs our personal time also is an enormous drain on our nation’s economy.

Transportation underpins the U.S. economy. Whether it’s the movement of freight or the creation of jobs, the nation depends on seamless, efficient transportation. Businesses, factories, employers and consumers must be connected to a dependable transportation network to help build and sustain a healthy economy.

As the economy grows, more goods will be produced and shipped, requiring the transportation of raw materials to manufacturing plants, parts to assembly plants and finished goods to markets and consumers.

Global Competitiveness Report 2010-2011

The United States is in the top five overall rankings in the Global Competitiveness Report 2010-2011, released by the World Economic Forum. It remains dominant in many industries projected to grow in the future, yet in the infrastructure category, the U.S. ranked:

23rd overall
19th in quality of roads
18th in quality of railroads
22nd in quality of ports

Our current competitive advantages through innovation, higher education and labor market size and efficiency cannot be ensured going forward without access to a quality, first-rate transportation system that can move people and goods in an efficient way.