Secretary Mineta Presents Traffic Plan in Nashville

U-S Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta stopped in Nashville today to promote a new plan to reduce traffic congestion.

Earlier this week, Mineta unveiled what’s being called the National Strategy to Reduce Congestion on America’s Transportation Network. He says Americans lose hundreds of billions of dollars each year due to freight bottlenecks, wasted fuel used in traffic jams, and airline delays.

“Congestion kills time, wastes fuel, and costs money. But congestion doesn’t have to be a fact of life. We have the tools, we have the technology, and now we have a plan to make today’s congestion a thing of the past.”

The plan calls for the federal government to form partnerships with interested cities, to plan and fund traffic managment programs, such as express bus service or toll roads that charge less during off-peak hours. It also urges states to solicit greater involvement from the private sector, both in terms of lessening their contributions to congestion, and making financial investments in the transportation infrastructure.

Meanwhile, Mineta says he is charging a new Surface Transportation Commission with finding new funding sources for highway and transit projects. He says the system cannot continue to rely heavily on the federal gas tax collections, because as vehicles become more efficient, the tax will generate less money.