America's Marine Highway: A gaping window of opportunity

As American driving reaches the eighth month of steady decline, DOT officials warn that new sources of highway financing must be found. Elimination of the Harbor Maintenance Tax, on the other hand, will reduce congestion on overtaxed roadways and reduce wear & tear – and that's just the start.

According to new data released by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), since last November, Americans have driven 53.2 billion miles less than they did over the same period a year earlier – topping the 1970s' total decline of 49.3 billion miles. Summing up the situation nicely, U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters said in a press release, "We can't afford to continue pinning our transportation network's future to the gas tax." I couldn't agree more and the irony that higher oil prices will also prevent us from adequately maintaining the very roads that use that energy is not lost on me. But, there's more than one way to attack this problem and the potential elimination of the Harbor Maintenance Tax may just be the key to the ultimate solution.

Peters correctly points out "Advances in higher fuel-efficiency vehicles and alternative fuels are making the gas tax an even less sustainable support for funding roads, bridges and transit systems." As Americans drove 4.7 percent less, or 12.2 billion miles fewer, in June 2008 than June 2007, less revenue is naturally generated for the Highway Trust Fund from gasoline and diesel sales. That in turn reduces the resources available to perform badly needed infrastructure upgrades. On the other hand, I wonder just how much less wear and tear that the nation's roads would incur were literally hundreds of thousands of large, heavy trucks removed from the equation.

As Secretary Peters unveils the DOT's transportation reform plan, lawmakers will have a myriad of options to consider when Congress takes up highway and transit legislation next year. But, if Peters really plans to "transition away from status quo solutions that produce status quo results," then now is the time for a comprehensive Shortsea Shipping program to also be developed. It's not just a pipe dream.

In Connecticut, America's Marine Highway – as MARAD's Sean Connaughton has coined it – has significantly reduced traffic on I-95, partly through the use of a high speed ferry system between the state and New York. According to the Connecticut Maritime Coalition, as much as 19 million tons of cargo, 2.6 million people and 850,000 vehicles are moved over water by private operators each year and waterborne transport keeps 950,000 trucks off Connecticut's roads annually. Hardly a status quo solution, but nothing to sniff at, either.

Through the use of a few "super" ports on each coast, there is real potential for millions of tons of cargo in all forms to be moved on small feeder ships to other, smaller, shallow draft "niche" ports. We don't need thirty ports each dredged to 60 feet. Those resources are probably better spent on maintenance of existing berths, intermodal port infrastructure and waterways. Eventually, and through a coordinated effort to remove trucks from the roads, we'll have to spend less on maintenance of the highways and thereby make the tax dollars that we do have, go farther. This isn't rocket science.

Advocating an intelligent marine highway / shortsea shipping solution isn't just confined to the desire to help Mary Peters better manage our roadways. Of course not. This is THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE and we have been pushing for the elimination of the shortsea component of the HMT for a long, long time. Shortsea shipping will foster and perpetuate the current surge in domestic maritime activity that comes in the form of shipbuilding, maritime-related employment, reduced emissions, sealift capabilities in time of war and yes, increased tax revenues. But if we need a good excuse to finally get this done, then highway issues are as good a place to begin as any. And, the next time you have 18 cubic feet of mulch or some other bulk commodity delivered to your house, remember this editorial as you sprint out to prevent that six-wheeler from backing onto to your fragile concrete driveway. – MarEx

Joseph Keefe is the Managing Editor of THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE. He can be reached with comments or questions on this or any other article in this e-newsletter at jkeefe@maritime-executive.com.