Report Examines Mileage-Based User Fee Future
April 26, 2019
This week, the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) released a report entitled, “A Policymaker’s Guide to Road User Charges.” The report calls on Congress to develop and pass legislation directing the U.S. Department of Transportation (US DOT) to establish a national Mileage-Based User Fee system (MBUF) , or a “Road User Charge” (RUC). The......
Ohio Legislature Reaches Agreement on Gas Tax Increase
April 04, 2019
Ohio drivers should soon start seeing traffic cones and roadwork signs, thanks to the recently passed Ohio gas tax increase. This small increase, which will cost the average Ohio driver less than $55 a year (depending on driving habits), is roughly equivalent to what one might spend on a daily cup of coffee for a......
New Bridge Data Supports C+ Report Card Grade
April 03, 2019
The American Road and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) released its Bridge Report based on the data in the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) 2018 National Bridge Inventory database. ARTBA’s Bridge Report confirms the “C+” grade given in ASCE’s 2017 Infrastructure Report Card. Both reports illustrate that while the overall number of bridges deemed structurally deficient......
March 01, 2019
The national transportation research group TRIP released a new report on February 26, 2019, stating that deteriorated roads and bridges, congestion, and lack of desirable safety features are costing Alabama motorists $5.3 billion per year in extra vehicle operating costs, which is about $1,846 per driver, due to the cost of lost time waiting in......
Senate Committee Examines Our Surface Transportation Needs
November 30, 2018
Senators returned from Thanksgiving celebrations with their family and friends last week refreshed and ready to tackle the infrastructure problems and potential solutions facing the country – starting with a committee hearing on Capitol Hill. “Addressing America’s Surface Transportation Infrastructure Needs”, a hearing held by the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works on......
Infrastructure Proves to be Priority on Election Night
November 07, 2018
Infrastructure investment was again a prevailing theme on ballots in many states this past election season. The midterm election poised an opportunity for states to create new revenue streams as well as secure existing ones. Let’s recap what happened with infrastructure initiatives on state ballots: California rejected a repeal of the 10-cent gas tax increase......
Minnesota Earns a “C” in First Infrastructure Report Card
October 10, 2018
On Tuesday, October 9, civil engineers gathered at the Minnesota State Capitol for the release of the first-ever Report Card for Minnesota’s Infrastructure. The Report Card gave the state’s infrastructure an overall GPA of “C” and evaluated and graded nine individual infrastructure categories: aviation, bridges, dams, drinking water, energy, ports, roads, transit, and wastewater.......
Mississippi Special Legislative Session Addresses Funding Need for Bridges and Roads
August 30, 2018
Earlier this year, the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) had to close nearly 500 bridges to ensure the safety of the traveling public and another 1,742 were posted with specific weight limits due to structural deficiency. In addition, 28% of Mississippi’s roads are in poor condition, 12.30% of bridges are structurally deficient, and the condition......
Congressman Curbelo Introduces Bill to Tax Carbon
July 24, 2018
Earlier this week, Congressman Carlos Curbelo (R-FL) introduced H.R. 6463, the Modernizing America with Rebuilding to Kick-start the Economy of the Twenty-first Century with a Historic Infrastructure-Centered Expansion Act, or the “MARKET CHOICE Act.” This bill would amend the tax code to add tax equal to $24 per metric ton of carbon dioxide (CO2), with......
California Transportation Investment at Stake in November
June 26, 2018
California legislators voted in the spring of 2017 to raise the state’s gas tax for the first time in 23 years. Gov. Jerry Brown praised the decision and signed the bill, SB1, into law, ushering in $5 billion worth of revenue to pay for roads, bridges, and transit projects that would increase safety, ease congestion,......