Congress is Back in Session: Here’s What to Watch For
September 13, 2019
Now that summer has ‘unofficially’ ended, Congress returns to D.C. with a laundry list of items to accomplish before wrapping up the 2019 legislative session. However, what’s most pressing is that Congress must pass all 12 appropriations (funding) bills before the end of the fiscal year on September 30, 2019 to prevent a government shutdown.......
Big Travel Weekend Coincides with New Traffic Report
August 29, 2019
This weekend marks the last (unofficial) weekend of summer, and with the long weekend just hours away, people across the country will be hitting the road. Another holiday means more holiday traffic, which shines a spotlight on the need to improve our transportation infrastructure. According to the travel industry group Airlines for America, about 17.5......
FEMA Unveils New National Mitigation Investment Strategy
August 16, 2019
National Preparedness Month (NPM) hits September 1, and has a slight head start, with a new strategy from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help improve coordinated efforts and effectiveness of risk management actions that would avoid, reduce, or transfer risks from natural hazards – including severe weather—across sectors. The National Mitigation Investment Strategy......
Thirteen States Increase Their Gas Tax – Just in Time for Summer
July 18, 2019
Across the country, many states are proving that funding and modernizing infrastructure is a key priority. We just saw Illinois pass a massive, bipartisan transportation package in June as a part of the “Rebuild Illinois Plan,” which created new revenue for roads and bridges, as well as increased the vehicle registration fee and added an......
July 01, 2019
Our transportation network is the backbone of the economy. To keep that network strong, we must modernize and maintain our roads, bridges, and other transportation networks. However, we’re still driving over potholes, seeing the aftermath of a water main break, and sitting stuck in traffic for hours—42 hours a year in fact. We can no......
House Tees Up Second FY20 Minibus
June 21, 2019
This week, the House began voting on its second FY20 “minibus,” or spending package. H.R. 3055 includes the following appropriations bills: Transportation, Housing & Urban Development; Interior & Environment; Commerce, Justice, and Science; Military Construction & Veterans Affairs; and Agriculture, Rural Development, and Food & Drug Administration. Of particular interest to ASCE are programs that......
National Levee Safety Program Gets Some Love in the FY20 Minibus
June 21, 2019
Tis the season for appropriations! The fiscal year 2020 (FY20) appropriations process is well underway, and the House of Representatives passed the first minibus of FY20 spending bills, H.R. 2740, which contained a blockbuster win for ASCE: increased funding for the National Levee Safety Program (NLSP)! Although the minibus does not fund the program at......
Innovations in Seismology: Fiber Optics Help Maintain America’s Infrastructure
June 20, 2019
The Seismological Society of America hosted a briefing on June 17 on fiber optic analyses, proving that using fiber optic analyses could be instrumental to the maintenance and safety of America’s infrastructure. Panelists included Herb Wang from the University of Wisconsin- Madison and Nate Lindsay from the University of California, Berkley, and they focused on......
ASCE Says Farewell to Brian Pallasch After 20 Years
June 07, 2019
After two decades of energetic and skilled service to ASCE and the civil engineering profession, Brian Pallasch, who served as Managing Director of Government Relations and Infrastructure Initiatives, is leaving ASCE to take on his next professional challenge. His career journey takes him to Raleigh, North Carolina, where he will serve as the Executive Vice......
Massive, bipartisan transportation package approved in Illinois
June 07, 2019
Illinois has just made giant strides in modernizing the state’s surface transportation—it became the fourth state of 2019 to increase its gas tax. Governor J.B. Pritzker (D) signed into law a 19-cent per gallon gas tax increase, doubling the previous rate to a total of 38 cents per gallon, as part of a $45 billion......