There is a growing need in rural and small communities for improved
transportation services. Rail freight service to many communities has
declined as railroads abandon unproductive branch lines. At the same time,
rural roads are often inadequate to handle large, heavily-loaded trucks.
The increased demand for "harvest to harbor" service has also placed an
increased burden on rural transportation systems, while bottlenecks along
the Mississippi River delay grain shipments to the Gulf of Mexico.
We have made some progress:
--To further develop the nation's waterways, my Administration began
construction of a new 1,200 foot lock at the site of Lock and Dam 26 on the
Mississippi River. When opened in 1987, the new lock will have a capacity
of 86 million tons per year, an 18 percent increase over the present
system. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has also undertaken studies to
assess the feasibility of expanding the Bonneville Locks. Rehabilitation of
John Day Lock was begun in 1980 and should be completed in 1982. My
Administration also supports the completion of the Upper Mississippi River
Master Plan to determine the feasibility of constructing a second lock at
Alton, Illinois. These efforts will help alleviate delays in transporting
corn, soybeans and other goods along the Mississippi River to the Gulf of
Mexico.
--The Department of Transportation's new Small Community and Rural
Transportation Policy will target federal assistance for passenger
transportation, roads and highways, truck service, and railroad freight
service to rural areas. This policy implements and expands upon the earlier
White House Initiative, "Improving Transportation in Rural America,"
announced in June, 1979, and the President's "Small Community and Rural
Development Policy" announced in December, 1979. The Congress should seek
ways to balance rail branch line abandonment with the service needs of
rural and farm communities, provide financial assistance to rail branch
line rehabilitation where appropriate, assist shippers to adjust to rail
branch line abandonment where it takes place, and help make it possible for
trucking firms to serve light density markets with dependable and efficient
trucking services.