JOC Staff | Mar 06, 2013 3:39PM EST
U.S. Rep. Albio Sires, D-N.J., has introduced the Multimodal Opportunities via Enhanced Freight Act of 2013, also known as the MOVE Freight Act, which is designed to ensure all transportation modes and system connections necessary to moving freight receive proper attention in freight planning.
The bill, H.R. 974, which expands upon freight policy milestones established by Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21), establishes a competitive grant program to ensure that projects receive proper investment.
Reps. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore.; Adam Smith, R-Wash.; Corrine Brown, D-Fla.; Janice Hahn, D-Calif.; and Grace Napolitano, D-Calif., are co-sponsoring the bill.
The four key tenants of the bill include the identification of freight as a national priority, inclusion of multimodal transportation infrastructure in the national freight network, requirement that states create state freight plans and national freight infrastructure investment grants.