Cramer, Alsobrooks Introduce the Modal Parity in Permitting Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. - As North Dakotans know, the summer construction season means infrastructure projects are well underway across the state. Many of these projects are federally funded, but the permitting requirements differ depending on the transportation mode. One notable example is highway projects, which are allowed to use formula funding to purchase offsite buildings, such as maintenance yards or operations facilities, prior to completing a National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review. The same type of project for passenger rail and transit projects must complete the entire NEPA review before acquiring those same facilities. These disparate rules add to the duration and cost of these projects.

As Chair and Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure, U.S. Senators Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD) introduced the Modal Parity in Permitting Act to ensure transit and passenger rail projects follow the same federal permitting process as highway projects.

"Every time we cut red tape and get the federal government out of the way, infrastructure projects move faster and more efficiently," said Cramer. "The Modal Parity in Permitting Act removes unnecessary permitting hurdles, allowing local agencies to spend less time navigating bureaucracy and more time delivering transportation improvements for their communities. It's a simple change with a significant impact."

"I am proud to partner with Senator Cramer in introducing the Modal Parity in Permitting Act," said Alsobrooks. This bipartisan bill will allow transit and passenger rail projects to have the same flexibility as highway projects when it comes to securing the property they need while their environmental reviews move forward. It just makes sense, let's get this done."

"The Dakota Transit Association has always supported and will continue to support actions beneficial to the public transportation industry," said Terry Hoffman, President of the Dakota Transit Association. "The changes defined in the bill are considered a benefit to providers and users of public transit across the Dakota's and beyond. Thank you Senator Cramer for leading this effort."

Click here for bill text.