A trucking group has changed its plan to hold a national meeting in Newport, Rhode Island, in the summer of 2018, in protest of the recently approved RhodeWorks program.
RhodeWorks imposes tolls on trucks to pay for repairs to the state’s aging bridges.
“It’s not that we don’t want to be in Newport, it’s that we can’t support a state where the administration seems to be anti-truck,” Brian Parke, Northeast chairman of the Trucking Association Executives Council, said. Parke also is president and CEO of the Maine Motor Transport Association.
Parke said the meeting attracts about 200 attendees, generating up to $250,000 in revenue for the host community. The summer 2018 meeting will be held in Rockport, Maine.
“We’ve got plenty of time to bring that revenue to Maine,” Parke said.
Marie Aberger, spokeswoman for Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo, wrote in a statement, “We’re pleased Rhode Island will now have the money we need to rebuild our roads and bridges, support safe and reliable infrastructure, and put thousands of people back to work. Good infrastructure is good for everyone on our roads and good for our economy.”
The council is divided into four regions, each of which hosts one meeting every four years. The decision to come to Newport was made last fall.
“The Chamber of Commerce and Discover Newport were fabulous to work with and to help us make our event a success,” Parke said. But because RhodeWorks became law, the group decided to move the event.
“There are consequences for singling out trucks as having to pay for the RhodeWorks plan,” Parke said.
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