[On decarbonizing the heavy transport industry and the shift to electric delivery vehicles for e-commerce] The last-mile delivery is actually a fairly easy usage to electrify. It also has monetary advantages. The vehicles are used really heavily — on the road every day, running around all day — and electricity is a cheaper fuel than gasoline or diesel. Those vehicles are likely to be more expensive up front, but they’re also likely to pay for themselves.
Current conversations around finance and revenue distribution dominate the discussion about transportation in the U.S. today. These concerns are so prevalent today that they spawned not one – but two – national commissions to investigate how the nation should approach the issue of funding transportation over the long term.
The purpose of this presentation at the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association’s annual meeting is to frame the discussion around transportation funding around the major policy flaws inherent in the system today. In that regard, Robert Puentes argues that the U.S. needs to rebuild the public trust before increasing spending and must clearly articulate a clear, coherent national purpose for the program. At the same time, the U.S. must begin to move away from traditional funding and finance mechanisms and, in particular, needs to unleash the market to address a range of concerns.
The metro program hosts and participates in a variety of public forums. To view a complete list of these events, please visit the metro program’s Research and Commentary page which provides copies of major speeches, PowerPoint presentations, event transcripts, and event summaries.
