Tim Lynch, senior vice president of the American Trucking Associations, spoke first at Wednesday's roundtable discussion on "Perspectives on Surface Transportation Authorization." Lynch reiterated that ATA is willing to "accept an increase in the federal gasoline tax provided that revenues are in turn expended on highway-only freight projects" intended to reduce freight bottlenecks and increase efficiency on the national highway network.

Lynch also outlined ATA's position on an adjustment of federal regulations on the size and weight of trucks operating on the interstates. The proposal would increase the maximum allowable gross vehicle weight to 97,000 pounds provided the increased load is distributed over six axles. Current rules, in place since 1956, cap the weight at 80,000 pounds for most sections of the nations' interstates, though some exceptions apply. Lynch noted that such an increase would reduce congestion and greenhouse-gas emissions.

Stephen Keppler, interim executive director of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, outlined the alliance's authorization priorities. CVSA stresses that the federal government should take a stronger role in examining the differing truck size and weight rules among the states as they present both a safety and administrative challenge. Keppler highlighted the alliance's three major reauthorization themes as a strong model to "improve efficiency, accountability, and innovation" in safety and enforcement on the nation's highways.

Robin Boerstling of the National Association of Manufacturers also spoke during the seminar. NAM, along with AASHTO and ATA, is a member of the Freight Stakeholders Coalition. Boerstling cited the coalition as being a strong supporter of much of AASHTO's freight authorization platform. Boerstling also stressed that NAM wants Congress to pass a transportation reauthorization bill by the end of this year.

Robert Healy, vice president of government affairs at the American Public Transportation Association, expressed APTA's disappointment in Congress' inability to write a six-year surface transportation authorization bill. APTA is "making the case for short-term efforts that are long enough so that already appropriated transit funds can be spent." Healy also noted that APTA is open to a variety of ways to finance the surface transportation bill and continues to seek a doubling of federal investment in transit.