March 24, 2015
A growing number of states are taking action during their legislative sessions to increase investment in transportation. This trend is in vogue for several reasons. First, many states that have taken action have done so after years of kicking the can down the road. For example, Iowa’s 10-cent increase is the first boost since 1989.......
The Excitement of Infrastructure
March 02, 2015
Iowa’s transportation investment as funded by the state gas tax FINALLY received a 10-cent raise last week, which went into effect yesterday. The last time it had seen an increase before that? 1989. To put that in perspective: the Bachelor who has been bringing Iowa a lot of attention the past two months celebrated his......
This Week in Infrastructure: State Solutions, Innovations for Infrastructure Improvement
February 20, 2015
A bus tour sharing the message we need to invest in infrastructure to “Grow America”, increased momentum towards state-level gas tax increases and new transportation innovations are all building momentum towards improving our nation’s infrastructure. On Wednesday morning in Los Angeles a water main broke that was installed in 1926, causing flooding and damage to nearby......
This Week in Infrastructure: Infrastructure Won’t Fix Itself
February 13, 2015
It is not a news flash that America’s infrastructure needs serious attention and investment. In light of increased attention to our nation’s surface transportation needs, many states are proposing increasing the gas tax to fund transportation. In addition, there has been an uptick in the number of news stories highlighting the need to be more......
ASCE Endorses an UPDATE to the Gas Tax
February 05, 2015
Twenty-two years ago ‘I Will Always Love You’ was the top song on the Billboard charts, a loaf of bread cost $0.75, and Unforgiven won the Oscar for Best Picture. A lot has changed since then, yet the gas tax rate that funds our transportation system has remained the same. Yesterday, the American Society of......
New Year, New Congress, New Hope for Infrastructure Investment
January 09, 2015
It’s a new year, and with a new Congress in session, there is hope that a federal funding solution for infrastructure can soon be reached. Congress has given us reasons to be optimistic, with more bipartisan support for infrastructure funding buzzing at the federal level. Upon reflecting on the past year’s infrastructure challenges, ranging from......
Michigan Legislature Defers to the Public on Gas Tax
December 22, 2014
Last week Michigan’s House and Senate leadership worked tirelessly with Governor Rick Snyder to reach a deal before closing out the 2014 legislative session. The House and Senate initially passed differing transportation funding measures. Both would have increased investment in Michigan roads however, the funding methods were vastly different. With neither chamber willing to accept......
This Week in Infrastructure: All the Reasons to Fix the Trust Fund
December 12, 2014
Reports on transportation investment and its overall benefits to the economy provide incentive for Congress to #FixTheTrustFund as state lawmakers make their own push for infrastructure investment. On Tuesday, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) released the 2015 Bottom Line Report, which thoroughly evaluated......
This Week in Infrastructure: Final Push in 2014 for Highway Trust Fund Fix
December 05, 2014
Power failures, drivers frustrated with abysmal road conditions and increased media attention to our nation’s aging infrastructure have rattled Americans and driven more states to pursue raising their gas tax as a way of fixing the Highway Trust Fund. This past Tuesday, a massive power failure left large sections of Detroit in darkness. According to......
Higher Gas Taxes Will Help Michigan Build a 21st Century Infrastructure
December 04, 2014
In 1997, Dolly was cloned, we were excited by the release of IE 4, and ASCE hadn’t yet released its first Report Card for America’s Infrastructure. It is also the last time Michigan increased its gas tax to the current 19-cents per gallon. The diesel tax rate has been in effect since 1984. The time......