SACRAMENTO – The California State Transportation Agency today issued the following statement on the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Supply Chain Assessment of the Transportation Industrial Base: Freight and Logistics report, which includes policy recommendations to strengthen the national freight and logistics supply chain:
“Through close examination of every link in the national supply chain, the report highlights the need for strategic investments to upgrade and modernize our infrastructure to enhance capacity, improve resiliency and lessen environmental impacts on frontline communities – exactly what is called for in Governor Gavin Newsom’s California Blueprint budget proposal, which includes $2.3 billion for supply chain resilience and port infrastructure.
“As a leader in global trade, California has answered the call to address short-term supply chain disruptions. The report underscores that we must also plan for the long term, and we are in lockstep with our federal partners on the need to future-proof our supply chain infrastructure. We fully intend to leverage federal funding with unprecedented investments at the state level to support a more efficient, sustainable and resilient goods movement system that will power our economy for decades to come.”
Governor Newsom’s California Blueprint furthers the Administration’s ongoing work to support ports and build supply chain resilience with a $2.3 billion package that includes $1.2 billion for port-related infrastructure projects that increase goods movement capacity and additional funding for zero-emission port equipment, drayage trucks and infrastructure. In October, Governor Newsom issued an executive order directing state agencies to help identify additional ways to alleviate congestion at California ports and announced a state-federal partnership to help kick-start infrastructure projects designed to improve goods movement. In addition, the Governor has launched a multi-agency Supply Chain Task Force working to find opportunities to lease land for container storage space, Caltrans has issued temporary truck weight exemptions on state highways to keep goods moving efficiently, and the Department of Motor Vehicles has worked to nearly double its capacity to conduct commercial driving tests.
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