WHEREAS, America’s cities rely on a healthy transportation infrastructure to keep their metropolitan economies competitive in the world marketplace; and

WHEREAS, a critical piece of that healthy infrastructure is the ability to efficiently move freight to and from markets and ports to national and international destinations; and

WHEREAS, Federal and State governments have a history of partnering with cities in meeting their transportation infrastructure needs; and

WHEREAS, many cities are facing the need to build, rebuild, or repair major segments of their transportation infrastructure to stimulate economic growth, move freight and goods, relieve congestion, and ensure safe travel; and

WHEREAS, there is no funding source in the existing Federal-Aid Highway program adequate to address the needs of these “megaprojects”; and

WHEREAS, the U.S. Conference of Mayors adopted a policy for reauthorization of TEA-21 that calls for the creation of a Federal funding source to help address “mega-projects”; and

WHEREAS, the U.S. House of Representatives included within its adopted TEA-21 reauthorization bill a Projects of National and Regional Significance category funded at a level of $6.0 billion;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that The United States Conference of Mayors urges Congress to pass a Projects of National and Regional Significance category with a high level of funding in the final TEA-21 reauthorization bill.