To the 2008-2010 NJSFWC Board Members,
Today, Shirley Gillette and I met with Kristen Siegel of the Coalition Against Bigger Trucks. Since we have a resolution on our books from 1998 about the size of Tractor Trailers traveling on our highways and bridges, we can continue the fight for this cause. This bill is going to be introduced in the House of Representatives on this coming Friday. Congressman James P. McGovern of Massachusetts is the sponsor of the bill with two NJ Congressmen, Rush Holt and Steven Rothman already signed on as co-sponsors at this time. (If you call Congressmen Holt and Rothman, please thank them for co-sponsoring this legislation.) I am asking each one of you to call your Congressman and ask him to sign on as a co-sponsor of the bill.
The bill in the House is titled Safe Highways and Infrastructure Preservation Act (SHIPA). This bill will make our highways safer and prolong the life of roads and bridges by extending the common-sense limits already in place on Interstate highways to the entire National Highway System.
The bill is to freeze the size and weight of trucks on our highways. Years ago, Congress set 80,000 pounds as the maximum weight at which a truck can operate on Interstate highways. The American Trucking Association is pushing for an increase in the maximum weight to 97,000 pounds. Today, there is no federal limit on the length of semi-trailers. Over the years, trailer length has grown such that eleven states allow trailers over 53 feet. This bill will cap the length of truck trailers at 53 feet, but allow existing legal operations of trailers that exceed 53 feet to continue.
Remember all of the recent reports about the status of bridges in NJ alone. 700 bridges in NJ are rated structurally deficient and 1,500 are rated as functionally obsolete. Our roads and bridges are overwhelmed and in disrepair. Just think what this extra poundage will do to our bridges and roads?
If you print the attached contact list, it should print in its entirety?it did for me. If you can?t print the attachment, call Shirley Gillette or myself for additional contact information.
Please call or e-mail to the legislative aide listed on the attachment and ask them if your Congressman would be a co-sponsor of SHIPA.
When speaking with the member or staff and they agree to cosponsor they will need to contact Congressman McGovern's office. Specifically, his transportation legislative assistant Jay Lucey. The number is 202-225-6101.
Please let Shirley Gillette know if you make the call and what the response was. Unfortunately, I cannot send an e-connection out until next week so if you would like to pass this request along to your own club members and if the DVPs could e-mail this document to their clubs, please feel free to do so.
Fondly,
Anne
Anne H. Redlus
President
New Jersey State Federation of Women's Clubs of GFWC
|
