“The nation currently lacks a rational, robust program structure for prioritizing and providing financial support to high value investments in new infrastructure capacity. [I]t is time to replace the modally-oriented program delivery structure designed around…earlier purposes with one suited to the challenges of today and tomorrow. A mode-neutral federal discretionary program is needed to select and support infrastructure investments aimed at critical chokepoints in surface passenger and freight transportation system. … It makes no sense to try to address the challenges of a major urban corridor with separate modal programs, each with its own evaluation criteria and program requirements.” – Ron Kirby, Director of Transportation Planning, Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, before the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, April 9, 2008

“Setting up a new federal mode-neutral discretionary program…”