Collins, Levin Introduce Bill To Ease Border Traffic

WASHINGTON – Senators Carl Levin, D-Mich., and Susan Collins, R-Maine, today introduced legislation that would authorize $200 million annually for initiatives aimed at facilitating international trade by easing congestion at our borders. The bill would distribute funding to states based on border needs.

"Delays at border crossings continue to increase – total freight traffic is expected to more than double by 2020 – and these delays pose significant obstacles to businesses that rely on just-in-time deliveries," Senator Levin said. "Our bill would help to ensure that the flow of freight at our borders is smooth and efficient."

"Yearly truck traffic into Maine from Canada has increased substantially in the last decade," said Senator Collins. "This bill will help provide border states with the technology and infrastructure needed to move trucks across the border safely and efficiently."

The National Highway Borders Act of 2005 would address the growth in international trade and highway traffic by authorizing $200 million a year for six years for programs to ease congestion at border crossings. The bill would change the existing border program so that the funds are distributed by a formula that calculates border needs based on usage and traffic flows. This would ensure that funding is distributed based on defined criteria and would ensure the stability and predictability of the program for states.

The bill allows states to use the funding for a variety of purposes aimed at improving the safe movement of people and goods at or across an international border, including improvements to transportation and supporting infrastructure; construction of highways and related safety and safety enforcement facilities; operational improvements, including those related to electronic data interchange and use of telecommunications; international coordination of planning, programming, and border operation with Canada and Mexico; projects in Canada or Mexico proposed by border states that directly improve cross-border traffic; and planning and environmental studies.

The Senate adopted the Levin-Collins proposal in 2004 in its six-year highway reauthorization bill, but the full Congress failed to pass the bill before the 108th Congress adjourned at the end of the year. The 109th Congress is expected to take up the issue as early as this spring, and Levin and Collins will fight for inclusion of their proposal to improve the nation's border infrastructure.

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