Last week, ASCE hosted state legislators from nine states at the Washington office as part of a Council of State Governments (CSG) Transportation Policy Academy. ASCE has been a regular sponsor of these forums that bring state legislative leaders together to discuss transportation issues and the challenges they are facing in their respective states. In addition to a presentation on the 2013 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure, the event also featured a luncheon presentation on plans for an IMAX movie Dream Big!, which ASCE and the ASCE Foundation are pursuing to put engineering dramatically in the public eye. Lawmakers from Georgia, Hawaii, Kentucky, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont and Washington were in attendance.
State Legislators visit ASCE’s Washington office during the recent CSG Policy Academy. L-R: Rep. Curtis King (R-Washington), Rep. Patricia Higgins (D-New Hampshire), Rep. Jay Roberts (R-Georgia), Sen. Mike Vehle (R-South Dakota), Rep. Diane Lanpher (D-Vermont), Rep. Ryan Yamane (D-Hawaii), Sen. Ernie Harris (R-Kentucky), Sen. Jim Smith (NP-Nebraska), Rep. William Brawley (R-North Carolina)
CSG regularly brings state legislators who are transportation policy leaders in their states together to tackle key issues. Participants toured transportation megaprojects in Northern Virginia including newly opened stations on the silver line of the Metro. Other participants and speakers in the meeting included the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), U.S. Chamber of Commerce, American Trucking Association, Center for American Progress, Heritage Foundation, Bipartisan Policy Center, Maryland Department of Transportation, Virginia Department of Transportation, and Transportation for America.
Over the past couple years, state legislators and Governors have taken the lead on addressing the need for transportation financing with several states passing major initiatives since 2012.