As the U.S. increasingly examines and explores the need to enhance its multi-modal transportation system, many suggestions from policy-makers and constituents have been long on ambition but short on specifics. Further, the agriculture industry remains concerned that the transportation interests of urban areas could exclude the interests of rural areas.

In an effort to ensure that the transportation needs of the U.S. soybean industry are understood and considered in the midst of this national debate, the Soy Transportation Coalition (STC) recently released its “Top 10 Most Wanted List” of infrastructure priorities.

“Farmers should realize that if we are unwilling to promote the transportation solutions that would benefit our industry, we should not expect others to do so,” said STC chairman Gerry Hayden, a soybean farmer from Calhoun, Ky. “During this pivotal time in which the White House and Congress are developing a strategy for improving our multi-modal transportation system, it is critical the farmer perspective has a seat at the table.”

Given how soybeans and many agricultural products have arguably the most diverse and elongated supply chain of any industry, the list highlights opportunities to enhance rural roads and bridges, highways and interstates, freight rail service, the inland waterway system and ports. The STC board of directors also decided to simply list the top 10 priorities rather than ranking them against each other.

The top 10 most wanted infrastructure priorities include:

“In developing the list, the Soy Transportation Coalition board of directors did not want to simply promote those infrastructure projects with the largest price tag,” Hayden explained. “Some of the items on the list certainly do involve more federal investment, which we believe is appropriate. However, we also believe many of our transportation challenges can be addressed by implementing smarter regulations and by practicing better stewardship of taxpayer dollars.”

Mike Steenhoek, STC executive director, said when it comes to transportation, he would rather the federal government be “predictably good than sporadically great.”

He added, “In order for the soybean industry to remain profitable, we must be responsive and nimble in an increasingly dynamic global marketplace. We, therefore, need the federal government to help provide and maintain our multi-modal transportation network in a condition that inspires confidence and future investment.”

According to Steenhoek, one of the best ways to accomplish this is for the federal government to promote greater predictability and reliability in how U.S. transportation assets are maintained and how funding is provided, which is currently not occurring.

“We are hopeful that by calling greater attention to a number of the specific transportation needs of the soybean industry and much of U.S. agriculture, the federal government will become more of a facilitator of our global competitiveness and less of an obstacle to it,” he said.