With one week left until the Highway Trust Fund expires, the Senate is kicking it into high gear to agree on a long-term surface transportation bill, even when it means working weekends.
ASCE supports swift passage of the bill the Senate is currently considering, which includes, at its core, ASCE’s favored legislation the DRIVE Act, creates at least three years of solvency for the Highway Trust Fund (HTF), and includes safety provisions and transit policy.
While the bill does not increase the gas tax, it does add revenue to the Highway Trust Fund that will provide three years of certain funding.
On Thursday, TRIP, a transportation research group, released a new report that found 28 percent of major urban roads are in poor condition. The largest urban areas with the worst roads are San Francisco-Oakland and Los Angeles-Long Beach.
On a brighter note, ASCE just released its #GameChangers report on Thursday to showcase some of the top trends in energy, freight, transportation and water that are paving the way for new innovative infrastructure projects. These game changing trends are examples of what is possible when communities invest, and serve as a reminder of the importance of prioritizing infrastructure at all levels of government.
One of the projects featured in #GameChangers, the Lady Bird tunnel-boring machine, had a particularly big week. The machine that had been digging four-and-a-half miles beneath the Anacostia River tunnel system for the past two years finished its work and resurfaced. This revolutionary project is testimony to the infrastructure wonders that can be accomplished with increased investment and ingenuity.
Ultimately, without a long-term funding solution for the Highway Trust Fund, we will not be able to fully modernize our infrastructure. Take a few minutes to urge the Senate to work as quickly as possible to agree on a long-term funding solution. You can write your Senators a letter or call their office and share the message to #FixTheTrustFund by the July 31 deadline.