#FixTheTrustFund: Senate Dodging Potholes
July 27, 2015
Two weeks ago, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill that would fund federal transportation projects through mid-December to avoid the July 31 legislative deadline. While this would divert a summer construction catastrophe, delaying Congressional agreement on a multi-year path forward is not an ideal option because short-term extensions make it difficult to plan......
Fix the Trust Fund: Now it’s the Senate’s Turn
July 20, 2015
Last Wednesday, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to extend highway and transit programs until December 18, 2015 on a 312-119 vote. The House bill granted a $8.1 billion boost the Highway trust Fund (HTF) to keep it solvent past the looming July 31 deadline. This extension will fund surface transportation projects through......
Congressional Focus Remains on Highway & Transit Bill
July 13, 2015
This week both the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate will gear-up over the future of federal highway and transit funding and policy. The House is expected to approve a six-month extension of current policy, which would cost approximately $9 billion. The Senate is expected to take-up highway legislation later this week, but it......
Senate Committee Passes Surface Transportation Bill
June 24, 2015
Today, the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW) unanimously approved a six-year, $278 billion federal highway portion of the surface transportation authorization bill, the Developing a Reliable and Innovative Vision for the Economy (DRIVE) Act. The DRIVE Act was unveiled earlier this week by EPW Committee leaders Chairman James Inhofe (R-OK), Ranking Member......
Congress Punts on Highway & Transit Improvements
May 21, 2015
To use a common football analogy, this week Congress decided to “punt” on finding a long-term highway and transit funding solution and reauthorizing federal surface transportation programs. In football, the purpose of punting is for a team to be in a better strategic position following a failed offensive effort. Congress might need to be reminded of this because......
Arizona’s Growth Makes Infrastructure a Smart Investment
May 14, 2015
Arizona has been growing, and it’s going to keep growing. Today the state has about 6.6 million people, but Arizona’s population by 2035 could be as high as 10.5 million people which is a lot more people who will be using the water infrastructure and traveling on the same roads. With such explosive growth, comes......
Michigan Back to Square One to Fix Roads
May 06, 2015
On May 5 voters from Detroit to Marquette resoundingly opposed the idea of a change to the state constitution invest in better and safer roads. In an 80% to 20% vote Michiganders opted to consider “Plan B” rather than enact a slight increase in sales and fuel taxes that would have raised $1.3 billion for......
Be a Part of Infrastructure Week
April 29, 2015
The national week dedicated to highlighting the critical importance of investing in and modernizing America’s infrastructure systems, and the essential role infrastructure plays in our economy is May 11-15. The third-annual Infrastructure Week includes more than 30 events around the country from Alaska to Louisiana to New York. A few of the events include: MONDAY in Washington, D.C.......
Another packed week in Washington
April 24, 2015
As the clock ticks, post-winter pothole damage accumulates and families and businesses are increasingly affected by the outdated infrastructure conditions, lawmakers and members of Congress are raising their voices to find sustainable funding solutions. With just 37 days until our current transportation funding extension expires, several states and industries are making their case for investment.......
Seven States Say “Yes” to Gas Tax Modifications
April 13, 2015
Seven state legislatures used this year’s session to address infrastructure investment. These states used a variety of available revenue sources to raise money for their aging roads and bridges. No matter what sort of package these states put together, the common thread was that they all included an adjustment of the gas tax. ASCE supports......