Highway Trust Fund Insolvency: 30 Days and Counting
May 01, 2015
There has been much discussion on Capitol Hill and throughout the nation about increasing funding for infrastructure. From highways to transit to ports, our nation depends on infrastructure to thrive. Though federal lawmakers are once again looking toward a short-term funding patch for the beleaguered Highway Trust Fund, ASCE continues to advocate for a long-term,......
Majority of Americans Say Yes to Gas Tax Increase to Fund Transportation
April 30, 2015
In the debate on how to best fix the Highway Trust Fund, often times lawmakers shy away from the most direct funding source: a raise to the federal gas tax. Its last increase was in 1993, and since that time it has lost a third of its purchasing power. While many states have taken bipartisan......
April 17, 2015
Congress returned to Washington this week after a two week recess, facing a new level of urgency to Fix the Highway Trust Fund before last summer’s extension ends on May 31. A few members of Congress wasted no time upon their return to the Hill to start raising this issue and offering their solutions. On......
Water main breaks, power outage and a thinning hourglass for federal highway funds
April 10, 2015
Water main breaks, potholes and power outages are all results of underinvestment in infrastructure. Infrastructure is interconnected and greatly impacts our daily lives and national economy. The highway and transit policy and expires 51 days from today so it is critical that Congress act quickly to find a sustainable, long-term funding solution. Aging water infrastructure......
It’s Time Again to GROW America
April 01, 2015
During a recent interview with Politico’s Mike Allen, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx noted that the nation’s transportation system is “in a huge ditch.” Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) unveiled its idea on how to get America out of that ditch with their GROW America proposal. If the name sounds familiar, it’s......
ASCE Members Meet With US Lawmakers
March 30, 2015
“Let’s win this for our country,” proclaimed ASCE President Robert D. Stevens, PhD, PE to a room of nearly 200 ASCE members who descended on the nation’s capital to encourage members of Congress to fix the Highway Trust Fund last week. The group visited Washington, D.C. as part of the 15th annual ASCE Legislative Fly-In,......
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.......
March 20, 2015
With spring approaching and our nation’s roads baring the battle scars of another rough winter, the dialogue surrounding the Highway trust Fund and need for a sustainable transportation solution is accelerating at the federal level and inspiring states to take more action. In Michigan, residents have responded to their road needs by creating a pothole......
March 19, 2015
This week the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate majorities unveiled their fiscal year 2016 (FY16) budgets. Traditionally, passing a budget in Congress is a particularly partisan endeavor with most all members in the majority voting in favor of their budget, and all the minority members voting against it. Should this Congress......
Action to Fix Highway Trust Fund Needed by This Summer
March 09, 2015
On Monday, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released its latest projections on the fiscal health of the federal Highway Trust Fund (HTF). The HTF is the main source of federal money for road, bridge and transit projects and has been facing fiscal challenges for a number of years. Last summer, Congress provided a temporary infusion......