Trump Administration Proposes Budget
May 26, 2017
On May 23, 2017, President Donald Trump released his budget request for Fiscal Year 2018, which follows the blueprint, or “skinny,” budget released in March 2017. The proposal cuts funding for all federal departments except the Department of Defense, Veterans Affairs, and Homeland Security. The agency with the largest percentage decrease in funding is the......
South Carolina Legislature Says “Yes” to Gas Tax Increase
May 10, 2017
For the first time in 30 years South Carolina will increase its gas tax. With a resounding veto override South Carolina joins California, Indiana, Montana, and Tennessee as the 5th state to raise the gas tax in 2017 and 22nd state since 2013. The package was a few legislative sessions in the making and the......
States Approve Major Transportation Packages
April 25, 2017
States are once again forging their own pathways to fund their roads and bridge programs. In the meantime, four more states (California, Indiana, Montana and Tennessee) join the 19 others that have increased or modified their gas taxes to increase revenue since 2013. In each state the gas tax increase was just one piece of......
Transportation Committee Focuses on Brownfields
March 31, 2017
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee continues its series of hearing on “Building a 21st Century Infrastructure for America” this week, focusing on brownfields this time. The panel’s Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment’s March 28th hearing was entitled Revitalizing American Communities through the Brownfields Program. In fiscal year 2016, the EPA provided a total......
House Energy & Commerce Committee Holds Infrastructure Hearings
March 21, 2017
Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives’ Energy & Commerce Committee held hearings focused on infrastructure. Among them were two featuring ASCE members’ testimonies—both focusing on the newly released Infrastructure Report Card. These hearings came as Congress continues to consider how best to improve our nation’s infrastructure, in part because of President Trump’s interest in......
President Trump’s Proposed Budget’s Impact on Infrastructure
March 16, 2017
On Thursday, March 16, President Trump released his first proposed budget as president. Often referred to as the “skinny” budget because it is released soon after a President assumes office, the budget proposal included many cuts to infrastructure programs that in the past have been successful. The following statement is from Norma Jean Mattei, President,......
Congressional Hearings Focus on Aviation, Flood Control
March 03, 2017
As the President’s repeated in his address to Congress his pledge to dramatically increase infrastructure spending to the tune of $1 trillion, various Congressional Committees have been holding hearings to explore the need. While the hearings reflect broad and even growing support on Capitol Hill for infrastructure spending, they also illustrate major hurdles, chief among......
President’s Address Includes Infrastructure
March 01, 2017
On Tuesday night, President Trump addressed a joint-session of Congress for the first time in his presidency. Infrastructure was among the many issues he discussed. The President highlighted the interstate highway system as a the “last truly great national infrastructure program,” before calling for a “new program of national rebuilding” and vowing to ask Congress......
What VMT On The Rise Means for Roads
February 28, 2017
U.S. motorists set a new record for vehicle miles travelled (VMT) in 2016, driving over 3.2 trillion miles, an increase of 70 billion miles from 2015. VMT has long been on the rise, save for a dip during the recession. With so many vehicles on the road, it is no surprise that congestion has also......
Infrastructure in the News: No Rest for Weary Infrastructure
February 17, 2017
Romantic dates, the Grammy awards and celebrating black history are not the only milestones of this week; the Oroville dam crisis in California and the American Road and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA)’s 2017 national bridge report are drawing equal media attention. The recent Oroville dam crisis in California, captured by sources like National Geographic, Los......