"Our recommendations show that stakeholders with widely divergent views can come together to address the challenges facing our transportation system," Mayor Dennis Archer, NTPP chairman and former mayor of Detroit, said in a statement issued by the commission and policy project. "We hope that our recommendations resonate among both parties in Congress and serve as the starting point for a much-needed transformation of the system."

In the statement sent to the White House and Congress, NSTIFC and NTPP members said, "Our nation has reaped the benefits of a federal transportation program that built a system which has served as the foundation for our economy, global competitive advantage, and quality of life. It is of particular importance in these times of severe fiscal constraint that we invest scarce public resources more wisely and efficiently, in order to maximize the reach and impact of what we spend. Otherwise we will continue to get the same results: deteriorating infrastructure marked by unacceptable compromises to safety as well as worsening performance, especially growing congestion."

The full statement and list of signatories is available at bit.ly/signatories120810.