POLICY STATEMENT

Throughout our history, the Grange has had a vested interest in transportation issues. Although there are many different modes of transportation in existence today, the Grange supports the continued improvement of all of our existing transportation systems. This has to occur if we are to efficiently and economically improve our current standard of living. The National Grange supports increased funding and training at all levels of pertinent governmental agencies to detect and deal with potential acts and devices of terrorism in all methods of transportation.

The National Grange continues to support federal surface transportation legislation, known as the TEA ACT, covering highways, highway safety and mass transportation. The adoption of transportation legislation that would benefit rural America is part of the National Grange's landmark "Blue Print for Rural America" program. This program is the largest public works legislation in American history.

Each and every area of the country, including rural areas, will receive an appropriate balance of transportation funding due to the fact that all states will receive more money under the current program than under the previous program. This increase in funding is possible because for the first time in two decades all federal gas tax revenues deposited into the Highway Trust Fund will be spent on transportation programs.

This legislation also provides incentives to promote the use of agriculturally derived fuels such as ethanol and biodiesel, within the highway and urban transit programs. These incentives will help insure that rural Americans can continue to enjoy their freedom of mobility well into the 21st Century.

We have grave concerns regarding the health and competitive position of our nation's railroads. Consolidation of railroad companies has resulted in tremendous concentration of railroad resources in the hands of a very few companies.

It is also encouraging that the railroads recognize their responsibilities to serve the public interest by providing reliable and cost competitive bulk commodity transportation. However, talk is not enough. The Grange became involved at the national level more than a century ago in response to the need for a more effective public/private partnership between the railroads, their customers, and society as a whole.

The National Grange realizes the United States has the best postal service in the world, however we urge the postal service vigorously pursue ways to keep the same quality service and to institute procedures to maintain the highest level of safety for the employees and patrons throughout the entire system.

The crucial link in providing universal postal service throughout rural America is our nation's rural mail carriers. We pledge our support to fight to maintain rural free delivery and to defend the interest of the dedicated mail carriers that make rural free delivery a fact of life for millions of rural Americans.

The Grange believes that personal watercraft safety can best be enhanced through a combination of increased personal watercraft operator education programs and the implementation of personal watercraft operator certification requirements administered by the states.

The National Grange encourages the manufacturers and remanufactures of RVs, pick-up trucks, SUVs and other high profile vehicles to consider the safety interests of the drivers of smaller vehicles that approach these high profile vehicles in oncoming traffic at night when designing, positioning and aiming the headlights of high profile vehicles.

Each Grange should be encouraged to provide periodic regional child restraint seat safety checks or checkpoints.

The National Grange encourages and promotes the use of Grange halls and Grange members as sponsors and participants of safe driving programs. The National Grange urges that all motor vehicle operators using cell phones do so responsibly and in a safe manner, and if possible, pull to the side of the road when using such devices, or when other devices, such as speaker phones, headsets, or other means to operate the phone in hands free mode are not available.

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Highway Policy, Interstate System and Federal Highway Trust Fund (HTF)

1. The National Grange strongly supports the continuation of the Highway Trust Fund yet will support legislation that it be removed from the Unified Budget. The National Grange also supports the creation of a Federal Mass Transportation Trust Fund from user tax revenues separate from the Highway Trust Fund and highway user taxes. The National Grange opposes increasing the federal gasoline tax for purposes other than the Highway Trust Fund. Current gasoline tax revenues that are levied for the purpose of reducing the national debt should be placed in a dedicated fund and used for that purpose only. We further support federal legislation to remove federal fuel tax from fuel used to operate farm trucks. The National Grange will oppose any proposal that would change the concept of dedicating all federal motor fuel taxes to the HTF to be used for highway and highway related purposes, including legislation that would use a federal motor fuel tax increase to reduce federal budget deficits. We support extending the HTF and will oppose impounding monies as a means of enforcement of federal laws. We oppose any increase in the federal gas tax until all of the present surplus money in the Federal Highway Trust Fund is released.

2. The National Grange favors full compensation for homes, farming operations and businesses when displaced by highway right-of-ways.

3. The National Grange will lobby for additional federal funds to be allocated to affected states for increased maintenance of the NAFTA roadways. Additionally, the National Grange calls for increased border surveillance to ensure that commercial vehicles and drivers based in Canada and Mexico are in full compliance with the United States' motor vehicle equipment standards and requirements.

4. The National Grange works closely with the American Highway Users Alliance and other allied organizations to implement the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act of 2004 (SAFETEA) in such a way as to avoid administrative mistakes that can lead to lawsuits, project delays and misused highway funds. It supports the following objectives in the implementation of SAFETEA:

5. The National Grange encourages the creation of a national Blue Ribbon Commission on the Future of the Highway Trust Fund that will work with all stakeholders to develop a plan to maintain the solvency of the Highway Trust Fund. The National Grange urges the Blue Ribbon Commission on the Future of the Highway Trust Fund to develop new ideas to educate the public, the media and policy makers about the:

6. The National Grange supports streamlining environmental requirements to reduce bureaucratic delays in order to expedite the movement of congestion-relief projects from planning to construction as a proven way reduce mobile source pollution emissions while promoting adequate road capacity as an essential element of land use and transportation plans in areas designated for residential and/or employment growth. It also supports redirecting the federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality program (CMAQ), to fund new passenger and freight intermodalism hubs in highly congested areas to serve trains, trucking companies and bus companies by providing grants to improve intercity access to Amtrak stations and/or to construct public freight transfer stations as well as promote smart transit systems that would include bus service, rapid transit and demand-responsive paratransit services that operate on flexible schedules as a way of reducing traffic congestion and improving the environment.

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Highways - Non-Interstate

1. The need to protect prime land prompts the National Grange to urge government agencies to give a high priority to conserving land for agricultural purposes when considering the location and design of highways. Actions could include planting trees and shrubs along highways in places where such growth could stop soil erosion and aid in snow control.

2. The federal-aid system of highways should be continued as a federal-state partnership with less red tape and more flexibility in the states' use of money for safety, construction, and maintenance of state highways, including construction of local bridges that are built to the community's needs as determined by county and local road commissions. The National Grange will cooperate with the American Highway Users Alliance and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials in urging Congress to insure adequate resources and attention for rural roads and bridges.

3. To promote driver safety the National Grange recommends that the Highway Safety Administration require surface highway reflectors on the center lane divider of all two-way highways on the federal-aid highway system and that the federal Department of Transportation adopt standards to ensure a better and more durable road surface.

4. The National Grange supports addressing the broader mobility needs of rural residents by seeking solutions to the loss of intercity bus, air and rail services.

5. The National Grange supports funding to construct adequate parking or rest areas to allow commercial and other drivers to stop and rest. Funding should also be provided for adequate policing and/or better lighting for the present and future parking areas for the safety of those who use these facilities.

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Highway Safety

1. Certain vehicle equipment, such as trailer trucks, buses and motor homes, are believed to require special safety features. We urge that added attention be given to vehicle safety features, such as fog lights, backup safety equipment, chain-secured loads, and covered loose loads, tire tread depths of less than 1/16 inch, safe coupling devices for vehicles, school bus construction standards, and uniform color lenses for turn signals.

2. The National Grange supports the enforcement of weight limits on vehicles operating on our highways and urges States to establish specific operator license categories for motor homes and travel trailers taking into account the various sizes and weights of these vehicles.

3. The National Grange will work with the federal Department of Transportation and the National Safety Council to develop truck regulations requiring the use of brushes and/or flaps that will channel the water down and reduce the spray in addition to opposing the use of triple trailer trucks on all federal highways.

4. The National Grange supports the Department of Transportation (DOT) in requiring stricter regulation and enforcement of vehicles and operators transporting hazardous and explosive cargoes, and that the routes or alternate routes of the movement of hazardous materials be made known to government entities through which the movement passes.

5. The National Grange urges all State Granges to seek legislation adopting vehicle safety inspection laws and maintain strong support for existing and new traffic and highway safety legislation.

6. Railroad crossings in rural areas should have ripple strips installed in road surfaces on approaches to crossings, be clear of brush and other vision-inhibiting material and be equipped with flashing warning lights.

7. The National Grange supports standards requiring that all motorcycle, bicycle, and moped riders wear protective helmets. We further recommend that federal standards for motorcycle helmets be raised to provide the best protection and visibility.

8. The Grange urges that adequate government resources be applied to maintain an effective federal Highway Safety Program.

9. The Grange supports the use of safety belts in motor vehicles and urges its members to promote and abide by laws requiring their use. We support and encourage research to improve safety belt comfort and the adoption of standards for uniform operating mechanisms for all safety belts.

10. The National Grange urges the enforcement of the federal regulation requiring all vehicles under Department of Transportation regulation to have a rear bumper or undercarriage guard coming within 16 inches of the ground.

11. The National Grange urges the Federal Transportation Department to adopt a unified method of highway signing that is the same nationwide on all classes of highways. Signs at eye level or above should duplicate all road signs that are painted on pavements. The National Grange will lobby along with local Granges to demand safe and consistent exits and entrances to our highways and encourage the U.S. Department of Transportation to require all Interstate highway signs to include major cities to help indicate the direction the road is going for at least 1 mile before the intersection. Furthermore, the National Grange recommends that the Federal Highway Administration not use the metric system on road signs. We recommend that all applications and tests for driving licenses be given in the English language.

12. The National Grange urges automobile manufacturers to include the following modifications on their new models: a safety release that is located inside automobile trunks; uniformity in location of door latches; louder and more visible interior direction signal indicators; a spare tire that is of equal quality and size as the regular tires; darkened glass only when its use is in line with the regulations that were established by the National Safety Administration; uniform tow points; installation of light sensitive sensors that would automatically turn on automobile headlights at a certain degree of darkness; support and encourage automobile manufacturers to install daytime running lights on all new motor vehicles sold in the United States by the year 2005; at least one mirror on the right side of a vehicle to reflect an undistorted view of images and a curvature type mirror to pick up blind spots.

13. The National Grange recommends that current restrictions on truck drivers, bus drivers, and other commercial drivers regarding driving time and rest intervals be maintained and enforced.

14. The National Grange supports legislation requiring all newly manufactured school buses to be equipped with strobe lights that are highly visible in all types of weather.

15. The National Grange should develop educational programs to be used to educate farmers on the need to increase the visibility of their machinery and to use the new reflective materials. We urge all farmers that take their machinery on public roadways to apply the new style reflectors to their equipment to make them more visible to the motoring public and we urge manufacturers to use the new, better reflective materials on all slow moving vehicle signs. We encourage all motorists to be alert of improper uses of slow moving vehicle signs along the highway right of ways and report these improper uses to local law enforcement personnel.

16. The National Grange encourages and supports legislative action to standardize the cellular emergency numbers for the interstate highway systems throughout the country to just one number, Star 91.

17. The National Grange supports legislation that would penalize a driver for using a cell phone when it is a proven cause of reckless or unsafe driving or is the cause of an accident. The National Grange supports the inclusion of the proper use of cellular phones in the Defensive Driving Program of the National Safety Council.

18. The National Grange supports regulations that would strengthen the safety standards for smaller cars and opposes any weakening of the safety standards of sport utility vehicles (SUVs).

19. The National Grange strongly supports the development of state and national laws that would require reflective tape on all existing and new trucks to help reduce under-ride accidents.

20. The National Grange supports federal legislation to improve communication between the tire manufacturing industry and the government, that would require tire manufacturers to periodically report claims to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and would require auto and tire manufacturers to report any defects on American tires or automobiles sold in foreign countries.

21. The National Grange supports any effort that would increase enforcement of the right turn on red light law so that all motorists would make a full stop before turning right at a red light.

22. The National Grange supports legislation banning high intensity discharge (HID) headlights and/or driving lights and/or Xenon lights.

23. The National Grange urges the U.S. Department of Transportation to encourage all states to use the same laws pertaining to school bus operations and traffic control around school buses.

24. The National Grange requests that all school buses be required to have a sign on the back stating "Stay Back 50 Feet".

25. The National Grange supports the Federal Highway Administration's ambitious goal to save more than 3600 lives each year by preventing roadway departures, improving intersections, providing adequate truck parking on access controlled highways and improving safety at pedestrian crossings through improved national engineering education programs and statewide safety campaigns.

26. The National Grange opposes legislation requiring the installation of driver monitoring devices on school buses, which would replace the present U. S. Department of Transportation requirement for random drug and alcohol testing conducted through the year.

27. The National Grange supports legislation restricting the placement of any visual entertainment device within the driver's area of vision within a motor vehicle.

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Impaired Driving

1. The National Grange recognizes the extreme danger of drunk driving as well as driving under the influence of drugs, which causes nearly half of the motor vehicle fatalities. We seek cooperation with other volunteer groups who share our objectives of getting drunk drivers off the road. We further support enactment and strict enforcement of effective rules, laws, penalties and fines and the transfer of drunk driving conviction records across state lines for all kinds of motorized transportation. We support a nationwide enactment of the "per se" law, which makes driving with a blood alcohol content in excess of .08 percent a violation and believe the dangers of drinking and driving should be included in the anti-drug campaign of the federal government's information and education programs.

2. The National Grange supports federal legislation raising the minimum age for the consumption of alcoholic beverages to 21.

3. The National Grange recommends that transportation authorities, both government and privately owned, be vested with the authority to randomly test employees for illegal drug and alcohol use.

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Truck Transportation Policy

1. The National Grange will support legislation and regulatory policies that enhance stability and competition in truck operations so that farmers, processors, shippers and consumers can enjoy the lowest possible costs along with dependable and reliable service.

2. The National Grange supports new regulations requiring brake lights to be activated on commercial motor vehicles when a Jake Brake is used.

3. The National Grange supports legislation that would require reporting of positive drug tests for drivers with any commercial license to the Department of Motor Vehicles of the issuing state. The report of a positive drug test should remain in the driver's file for a period of two years. We further support provisions to appeal positive drug testing results and mandate a second test by a different facility to eliminate false positive tests.

4. The National Grange supports Department of Transportation (DOT) reclassifying light-, medium-, and heavy-duty utility vehicles separate from on-highway (cross-country) trucks. However, we recommend that log books not be required on light-, medium-, and heavy-duty utility vehicles.

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Water Transportation

1. The National Grange opposes increases in user fees for agricultural products on coastal and inland waterways. If user fees are increased, such fees should be based on the percentage of federal expenditures attributable to opening said waterways to barge traffic. These fees should be placed in an Inland Waterways Trust Fund and used only for construction and maintenance of inland waterways.

2. In an effort to contain costly and devastating environmental oil spills, the following actions should be taken on tankers that are entering United States' coastal waters:

3. The National Grange opposes the United States Corps of Engineers' efforts to shorten the season for transporting grain on the Missouri River.

4. The National Grange supports the immediate implementation of the upgrading of locks on the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers as spelled out in "ALTERNATIVE H in the UPPER MISSISSIPPI STUDY" to facilitate great barge traffic and to provide an economic engine to fuel growth and prosperity in the entire Midwest.

5. The National Grange recommends that the Jones Act, which requires all freight moved between American ports being carried in American bottoms, be repealed.

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Railroad Transportation

1. The National Grange recommends that the Department of Transportation (DOT) reconsider its proposal to abolish many of the scheduled AMTRAK trains in the United States and consider scheduling more commuter trains on their lines to offer better service to the public.

2. The National Grange urges the Federal Department of Transportation and the Interstate Commerce Commission to consider economic impact and public interests when undertaking transportation planning with regard to the impact of rail line abandonment. We support integration of rail and highway system planning in advance of possible abandonment to maximize economies to the public and private sectors as well as federal assistance to states for this purpose and to assist in rail takeovers by states where maintenance of service is cost effective to local or state governments and to local shippers. We support economic and social impact statements from railroads to the ICC and state governments as a part of the abandonment process. We believe that the right-of-way of an abandoned land grant railroad should revert to the last payer of taxes on the property, or by right of adverse possession or grant titles as well as the possible use of railroad right-of-ways, determined to be economically unfeasible, by adjacent landowners.

3. The National Grange urges that abandoned railroad crossings be returned to a smooth surface. All railroad crossing signals or signs should be removed within sixty (60) days following abandonment.

4. The National Grange encourages all levels of government to support the development and maintenance of a strong and effective rail network to enhance competition among and between rail carriers in order to ensure efficient rail service and reasonable rates, and for other purposes.

5. The National Grange supports legislation requiring warning reflectors to be placed on both sides of all railroad cars in the United States.

6. The National Grange supports legislation to restrict the Surface Transportation Board (STB), and other boards in Washington, D.C., from making major decisions affecting problems in areas without conducting public hearings in the areas affected.

7. The National Grange supports legislation that would require railroads to reveal to each landowner, before abandonment, the full and complete legal basis on which the railroad has claimed its right to occupy the corridor. If the railroad's right is less than fee simple ownership, the railroad should disclose to each landowner that its occupancy right would be extinguished upon abandonment.

8. The National Grange will lobby for the discontinuation of remote controlled locomotives operated in the switch yards, or over a public or private highway rail crossing without an Engineer occupying the cab of the locomotive who has the required skills to stop the locomotive and its attached equipment nationwide.

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Air Travel

1. The National Grange encourages U.S. governmental agencies, particularly the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), to increase funding for the purchase of new technology that can detect explosive devices.

2. The National Grange supports strengthening the English language certification for foreign pilots operating a commercial aircraft in the United States.

3. The National Grange supports repeal of the "Jim Wright Law" that requires passengers with flights originating or terminating at Dallas' Love Field to or from destinations beyond Texas, or the four states contiguous to Texas, to land, disembark, retrieve their luggage and recheck in before they may continue their flight.

4. The National Grange will urge the continuing utilization of Air Marshals on random flights.

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General Transportation Policy

1. The Grange believes that it is in the best interest of farmers and consumers to continue efforts toward achieving a balanced transportation system at the lowest cost consistent with adequate and efficient service.

2. The National Grange urges federal and state weed control agencies to control noxious weeds on their highway right-of-ways and to work with the railroads in an effort to control noxious weeds along railroad right-of-ways but always respecting the landowners' property rights and preferences.

3. The National Grange opposes intermodel ownership of transportation carriers unless the acquiring carrier establishes that the following transactions are consistent with the public interest; will enable the acquiring carrier to use the other mode to public advantage in its transportation operations; will not unreasonably restrain competition and will not result in segments of agriculture and rural areas being held by captive shippers.

4. The National Grange supports creating a national uniform vehicle identification system to be used by disabled drivers. Until then, we recommend that Congress enact legislation that would require each state to recognize disabled parking permits that have been issued to handicapped persons by another state. Legislation should be enacted to include blindness as a provision for issuance of a disabled parking permit.

5. The National Grange supports the English language as the national language. We oppose efforts to replace current highway signs with multilingual signs.

6. The National Grange strongly supports a simple boarding call over the public address system for special needs passengers be made a part of the Americans with Disabilities Act or any other legal, feasible way to introduce this procedure into intercity bus transportation system.

7. The National Grange opposes the passage of any Federal legislation that will require the scrappage of vehicles over 15 years old.

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U. S. Postal Service

1.The National Grange supports efforts by the Postal Service to eliminate waste, hold down operating costs and increase services and reliability. We continue to recommend that the U.S. Postal Service practice prudent fiscal responsibility and refrain from any management changes that would adversely affect postal rates.

2. The National Grange continues to support Rural Free Mail Delivery Service as an essential part of universal mail service. We oppose discontinuing rural Saturday mail delivery, or any curtailment of mail services to rural areas. Patrons of rural post offices must be given six (6) months notice before their post office is closed and must be provided with an opportunity to express their viewpoint at a public hearing.

3. The National Grange supports the private express statutes of the U.S. Postal Service. We further support the Postal Service being allowed to develop new communication technologies and new sources of revenue that will enable it to compete with the private sector. The Postal Service should also be allowed to bid on, and sign, contracts to provide express mail and other mail delivery services to companies in the private sector who desire to provide their customers, and potential customers, with a custom-designed mail and communication network.

4. The National Grange will promote the proportional payment of retirement funds from the U. S. Post Office and the U.S. government in relation to the number of year's retirees worked for each entity. We strongly oppose any change in the current postal employee retirement programs that would adversely affect the retirement of any postal employees, limit the retirement options of current postal employees or result in a reduction of retirement benefits for current or future postal employee.

5. The National Grange recommends that federal postal regulations require all future installation of cluster boxes be on the same side of the road as the residence or business.

6. The National Grange encourages the Postal Service to make their patrons aware that handicapped persons may apply for mail delivery to their door.

7. The National Grange urges that the penalty for vandalism of mailboxes be enforced.

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