Senate Panel Moves on Surface Transportation Bill
July 31, 2019
Bipartisanship was in the air on Capitol Hill this week. If there’s one issue both political parties can agree on, that’s infrastructure. This was evident this week as the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee introduced, marked up, and voted out of Committee S. 2302, America’s Transportation Infrastructure Act of 2019 (ATIA). This legislation......
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......
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......
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......
Infrastructure a Central Issue in the 2018 Election
November 05, 2018
The top issues in the 2018 election look a little different from previous elections. Conversations and plans around infrastructure have crept up in campaign debates all over the country, when this topic normally would not hit the desk of the newly elected official, or incumbent, until after Election Day. The Brookings Institution released a report......
Chairman Shuster Releases Infrastructure Proposal
July 25, 2018
This week, U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-PA) released his long-awaited infrastructure discussion draft. Key components of the plan include fixing the Highway Trust Fund (HTF), investing in transportation and water resources infrastructure, financing innovative projects, and accelerating project delivery. The plan also calls for an increase of 15 cents per......
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,......
Analysis of Federal Bridge Data Confirms ASCE Report Card Bridge Grade
February 02, 2018
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) 2017 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......
States Are Back in Session and Infrastructure Is on the Agenda
January 22, 2018
All eyes are on the federal government as the country waits for President Trump to unveil his long-awaited infrastructure plan. In the meantime, we have seen state after state step up and do their part to fill in the investment gap. Some states, such as Oregon and California, have recently implemented gas taxes to fund......