September 8, 2025
The Honorable Sean Duffy
The Secretary of Transportation
Washington, DC 20590
Dear Secretary Duffy,
The undersigned organizations commend the Department of Transportation’s (the “Department”) leadership as Congress and the Administration prepare for the next surface transportation and infrastructure reauthorization. This legislation has the potential to unlock significant opportunities for businesses, travelers, and communities across the nation. We are pleased to share our priorities for ensuring a modern, resilient, and efficient infrastructure system that enhances safety, mobility, economic growth, and global competitiveness.
As the Department develops its priorities, we urge a focus on four key issues that reflect the needs and aspirations of communities, workers, and businesses nationwide:
- Prioritize Transportation Safety and Reliability. American travelers, workers, and businesses rely on a safe and dependable transportation system. Long-term investments in infrastructure are essential to ensuring a safer, more reliable future for all Americans. Continued investment in proven safety programs is essential to protecting travelers, workers, and communities. Infrastructure funding must also prioritize resilience, which can yield significant cost savings and protect critical infrastructure—minimizing recovery costs and disruptions from natural disasters and other challenges.
- Modernize the Permitting Process to Foster Efficient Project Delivery. Timely and cost-effective project delivery is critical to meeting the infrastructure needs of our local communities. Reducing delays, providing greater predictability to investors, and increasing transparency for the public in the permitting process are essential. Embracing digital solutions and modernizing regulatory requirements will accelerate project delivery and maximize the impact of public investments. These regulatory improvements will help local economies grow, support job creation, and ensure that infrastructure projects deliver real benefits where people live and work.
- Invest in Infrastructure to Support Economic Growth. Strategic investment in all modes of transportation—roads, bridges, rail, transit, ports, airports, and waterways—are essential to strengthening supply chains, creating jobs, and enhancing America’s global competitiveness. Years of underinvestment have created a backlog of projects to address freight bottlenecks, improve connectivity, and foster economic opportunity in both urban and rural communities. Federal funding must remain robust to sustain the progresshighlighted in the American Society of Civil Engineers’ Report Card for America’ Infrastructure. Consistent and dependable funding will enable states and municipalities to plan and execute long-term strategies to improve the efficiency of moving people and goods across the country.
- Implement Stable Funding Solutions for Long-Term Investment. Sustainable, long-term funding is critical to maintaining and improving the nation’s infrastructure. The Highway Trust Fund (“HTF”), once a self-sustaining mechanism for federal transportation support, no longer reflects the rising costs of transportation projects. Since 2001, Congress has relied on general fund transfers to fully fund these investments. We support restoring the user fee principle as the foundation of federal transportation funding, ensuring equity for all users while accounting for evolving technologies and travel patterns. Expanding opportunities for private investment and innovative financing will also be critical to meeting the growing demand for infrastructure renewal and modernization. Legislation promoting private sector investment will help make certain the nation’s infrastructure network meets future demands.
We look forward to collaborating with you and the Department to build a comprehensive surface transportation and infrastructure system that supports America’s workers, travelers, and businesses.
Sincerely,
American Cement Association
Airports Council International - North America
Alliance for Chemical Distribution
American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA)
American Concrete Pavement Association
American Council of Engineering Companies
American Highway Users Alliance
American Public Transportation Association
American Road & Transportation Builders Association
American Society of Civil Engineers
Associated Equipment Distributors
Associated General Contractors of America
Business Roundtable
Intermodal Association of North America
International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE)
Laborers International Union of North America (LiUNA)
National Association of Counties (NACo)
National Association of Manufacturers
National Association of Waterfront Employers (NAWE)
National Industrial Transportation League
National Lime Association
National Retail Federation
National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association
Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA)
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
U.S. Travel Association
United for Infrastructure
