One of the more important questions surrounding incoming chairman Shuster will be his attitude toward Amtrak. Outside the Northeast Corridor, soon-to-be former chairman Mica was hostile to Amtrak. But if we are to build toward high speed rail the right and only feasible way, incrementally, then Amtrak offers the only available basis. All the corridors which are implementing higher speed rail – Cascades, Chicago-Detroit, Chicago-St. Louis, etc. – are Amtrak operations. If we lose Amtrak, we will lose any realistic hope of high speed rail with it. No one is going to duplicate California’s doomed attempt to build high speed rail as a stand-alone project.

Let's hope Mr. Shuster gets this. We are planning to release soon our new study on conservatives and high speed rail, which urges an incremental approach. We will make sure the new chairman receives a copy.

Congress needs to take a fresh and thorough look at how transportation dollars are managed. In this time of fiscal austerity, if not pending financial crisis, discipline and focus must drive systemic reforms. And the sooner such reforms come, hopefully within two years, the better.

A new chairman certainly can and should transform the House Transportation Committee. We should all wish Rep. Shuster the best and work with him to take a fresh and thorough look at transportation issues.

For starters, Congress should mandate that state and regional agencies document how efficiently they are spending funds, and managing operations through an independently audited performance scorecard system. A national benchmarking system could serve as guard rails to keep funding and performance in line.

In both Washington and at state and regional transportation agencies, we need leaders focused on and independent, verifiable, performance-oriented data. Today, unfortunately many such decisions are based on ideology, their personal preference of government managers, or simply instinct.

The taxpayers, users of transportation services, and government employees in transportation agencies all deserve better.

This week’s blog asks a number of questions. Let me take them one at a time.

What should committee members be focusing on next year when it comes to transportation?

There are a number of measures—such as a water resources development bill, a rail reauthorization bill, and reauthorization bills for a number of smaller programs—that are due for action in 2013. In addition, the committee should start work on the surface transportation reauthorization effort, given that MAP-21 expires on September 30, 2014, which in political terms is right around the corner. And the committee should also conduct aggressive oversight of its programs, especially DOT’s implementation of the extensive reforms in MAP-21.

Furthermore, in 2013 the President and Congress will likely try to get the nation’s fiscal house in order by enacting comprehensive tax reform and spending reform. As part of that effort, the committee should look for opportunities to address transportation’s “fiscal cliff:” the looming Highway Trust Fund deficit in fiscal years 2015 and beyond. The trust fund faces a 10-year deficit of well over $100 billion just to maintain existing investment levels, which by any standard are inadequate to provide the modern, efficient, and safe national surface transportation system that America needs in today’s highly-competitive global marketplace. The Highway Trust Fund needs a long-term, stable, and adequate revenue stream. 2013 may be the year to make it happen.

Will it really be another four years before a highway bill gets done?

It shouldn’t be. As a nation, it is imperative that we get our fiscal house in order. Transportation is part of the solution. A modern, efficient, and safe national transportation network is essential for strong economic growth, robust private-sector job creation, and international competitiveness. This importance of transportation to economic growth should spur timely action on the next bill.

And make no mistake—the stakes are high. Without significant improvements to the national network, freight transportation will become increasingly inefficient and unreliable, undermining the ability of American businesses to grow, create jobs, and compete in the global marketplace. The economy will suffer. And Americans will waste more time stuck in congestion and have greater difficulty reaching job opportunities.

Will a new chairman breathe life into the committee?

Transitions inherently provide opportunities.

How should legislators confront the niche transportation issues like rail, transit, and aviation?

To meet the freight and passenger demands of the 21st century, America needs a modern, efficient and safe national transportation system. It must be multimodal and it must be integrated into a seamless network. No one mode by itself can get the job done. We need all of the modes working together. As a result, legislators shouldn’t think about or confront any mode as a “niche mode.” They are all part of a national integrated network.

What makes a good transportation leader?

A good transportation leader should believe in and be passionate about transportation. He or she should understand how important transportation is to economic growth, private sector job creation, and international competitiveness, as well as to the quality of life of all Americans. He or she should have a clear vision of what needs to be accomplished. He or she should have the focus, perseverance, and strength of character to succeed, a person who will keep the shoulder to the wheel regardless of the difficulty, but is flexible and pragmatic enough to adapt to changed circumstances. He or she should recognize that transportation is critical to all Americans—regardless of political affiliation—and seek to reach across the political aisle to put partisanship aside. Importantly, he or she must be an excellent communicator and consensus builder, someone who will tell the hard truths, listen to the diverse opinions of colleagues and stakeholders, bring about consensus whenever possible, and develop coalitions based on shared principles and goals. And finally, he or she should have a positive attitude that instills trust and respect and brings out the best in people and organizations.

In my view, the transportation community is quite fortunate. Having known Chairman-Elect Bill Shuster since the days that I worked on the committee for his father, I believe he has what it takes to be a good transportation leader, especially at this time when transportation faces many challenges in an uncertain political and economic climate.

While everyone is entitled to appeal for money (I could do with a new computer), might Mr. Nagle explain why infrastructure users cannot pay for improvements the AAPA deems necessary?

The American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) welcomes Cong. Bill Shuster as the new House T&I Committee chairman. We look forward to working with him and his committee to advance the priority of ports and freight transportation infrastructure in the national agenda and we’ll be encouraging him to pass a new Water Resources Development Act bill next year before the committee turns its focus to the transportation reauthorization bill.

Thought leaders across the country such as Cong. Shuster and members of his committee generally agree that long-term investments in our nation’s transportation infrastructure are a critical component to our economic vitality. Because worldwide demand for goods continues to grow, countries boasting modern, efficient freight transportation systems will be the ones best able to compete for trade, making their exports less expensive and thus more desirable to international buyers.

Federal investments in seaports … and the land- and water-side infrastructure that connects seaports to highways, railroads and the global navigation system … are an essential, effective utilization of limited resources, paying dividends through increased trade and commerce, long-term job creation and tax revenues. Consequently, the priority for funding these investments must be a top concern for House T&I Committee members as they focus on their 2013 agenda.

Countries such as Brazil, Canada and Mexico have formulated national infrastructure programs and policies and are investing heavily in everything from ports and power plants to public-private partnerships. According to Ernst & Young’s “Infrastructure 2011: A Strategic Priority” report, “These nations see modernization of infrastructure as critical to future economic competitiveness and/or crucial to accommodating expanding populations in urbanizing environments.” (The full Ernst & Young report may be accessed at http://bit.ly/eyreport on the Web.)

However, federal infrastructure investments in the United States are a different story, where major funding gaps must be addressed (click here for example) and transportation policies created or changed to raise the priority of moving goods to a level similar to that of other nations.

Existing U.S. transportation programs don’t adequately address goods movement. That’s why AAPA policy recommendations focus heavily on improving port infrastructure and land- and water-side connections with ports. Without these investments, the U.S. simply cannot accommodate projected trade, population and vessel size growth, and the growing congestion that is plaguing cargo movement through metropolitan areas and along key transportation arteries.

In the year ahead, AAPA looks forward to working with Congress and the Administration, including those newly-elected or appointed officials who’ve had little exposure to the issues of seaports, to help convey why investments in ports are so critical to the nation’s economy and creation of good-paying, sustainable jobs.

In his re-election platform, President Obama stressed the need for long-term investments in infrastructure that include roads, bridges, rails and ports. He also stressed the need to open markets worldwide for American products and undertake regulatory reform to create more free and fair trade policies.AAPA believes that each of these areas are vital and should be a priority to help the American economy, increase domestic jobs, advance the nation’s international trade opportunities and promote business development.

Because modern, navigable seaports are vital to international trade and America’s economic prosperity, in the year ahead AAPA will encourage:

· Continued work on USDOT’s freight plan and policy;

· Progress toward a new Water Resources and Development Act bill that includes a process for authorizing projects and full use of the Harbor Maintenance Tax, as well as a number of policy changes to streamline planning and project delivery processes;

· Freight transportation infrastructure grants for projects of regional and national significance, such as at ports; and,

· Timely drafting of the next surface transportation bill that avoids the lengthy and costly delays seen in implementing previous years’ legislation, such as MAP-21 in 2012.

Because seaports are hubs for global trade, and trade is the lifeblood of our economy, landside and waterside access to our ports must receive a higher priority in federal transportation infrastructure funding decisions.

The future of ports throughout the Americas depends on these goods-movement infrastructure investments. AAPA, its members and freight partners are working diligently to ensure they happen.