U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Roger Dow issued the following statement:
“The travel community is grateful to members of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee for approving today a surface transportation bill that is innovative and emphasizes return-on-investment. While the bill doesn’t solve the problem of chronic underinvestment in our surface infrastructure, it does eliminate the uncertainty that had plagued the system and allow states and municipalities to move ahead with key projects.
“Most notably, the bill includes language that encourages state departments of transportation to prioritize projects for maximum economic benefit by considering the most pressing needs of the travel and tourism sector. The base bill calls for consultation between transportation officials and travel and tourism officials, and the Titus-Webster-Huffman amendment added during markup will ensure that state and local governments develop transportation plans to enhance travel and tourism.
“The travel community is grateful to Chairman Shuster, Ranking Member DeFazio, Subcommittee Chairman Graves, Ranking Member Norton, and Representatives Dina Titus, Daniel Webster, Jared Huffman, and Corrine Brown for supporting and prioritizing travel and tourism. Their combined efforts will maximize the bang states and municipalities enjoy for their transportation buck.”
