Holiday Travel Will Further Stress Nation’s Ailing Highways
July 2nd, 2015 | By: Olivia Wolfertz
With Independence Day around the corner, now is a good time to reflect upon the freedoms we have enjoyed for the past 239 years. To this day, our national interstate highway system represents the freedom of mobility that we enjoy as Americans. This holiday weekend, AAA is predicting that nearly 42 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles from home on the nation’s roads and highways. Given the dire condition and investment needs of our surface transportation, Congress must remember that ultimately they are responsible for maintaining and modernizing our transportation network. Despite Congress’ constitutional responsibility to fund surface transportation, our lack of federal road, bridge and transit funding means has led many states to step up transportation funding themselves. Six states have increased their gas tax starting July 1, including Idaho, Georgia, Maryland, Rhode Island, Nebraska and Vermont. Earlier this week, Washington joined other states this year in passing a transportation bill that includes a gas tax increase of 12 cents per gallon. This is reflective of the trend noted recently in Huffington Post about the many states that have enacted transportation funding this year, while another 16 are in the process of doing so. These actions will “generate billions of additional dollars” for local transit and highway projects. As motorists hit the roads this weekend, let’s hope that the traffic headaches they will certainly face will motivate Congress to come up with a funding solution to #FixTheTrustFund.Can you hold your own on our infrastructure quiz? Let’s find out!
July 1st, 2015 | By: America's Infrastructure Report Card
“Test your Infrastructure I.Q.” is a quiz to help you learn more about our nation’s infrastructure. The quiz is a fun, interactive tool and covers 16 categories of American infrastructure: energy, schools, public parks & recreation, transit, roads, rail, ports, inland waterways, bridges, aviation, wastewater, solid waste, levees, hazardous waste, drinking water and dams. If you get a question wrong, you can find the answer and maybe learn a few other facts as well. What are you waiting on? It’s time to test your infrastructure I.Q.!
Senate Committee Passes Surface Transportation Bill
June 24th, 2015 | By: America's Infrastructure Report Card
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 Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Subcommittee Chairman David Vitter (R-LA) and committee member Senator Thomas Carper (D-DE).
The bill would increase funding levels for highway programs by approximately $2.5 billion per year. The responsibility to identify how to pay for that increase, along with the annual Highway Trust Fund shortfall of $15 billion, belongs to the Senate Finance Committee. Tomorrow the Finance Committee will hold a hearing on transportation financing, where in testimony to the Committee ASCE underscored the importance of public support for funding as necessary to improving future financing opportunities. While Finance is still determining how they would like to pay for the DRIVE Act, in a recent interview with ASCE, Chairman Inhofe noted that he believes that General Fund revenues plus dollars from any corporate repatriation tax changes could address the funding gap. In addition to Finance, there are a few other Senate committees that need to act before the July 31 deadline to approve their transportation policy pieces, like transit and driver safety items.
ASCE sent a support letter to Senate leaders in favor of the DRIVE Act and President Bob Stevens issued a statement where he said, “The DRIVE Act achieves many of the goals that we as civil engineers believe must be addressed in the next surface transportation reauthorization and accomplishes these goals in a bipartisan fashion.” Some of the policy items contained in the DRIVE Act that ASCE supports include:
- Increased program funding over a six-year period;
- Multi-year program certainty that will help states and localities better plan and deliver projects;
- Prioritizing funding for bridge maintenance and repair;
- A focus on Interstate Highway System maintenance;
- Establishment of a new freight program, funded at $2 billion annually, to improve goods movement;
- Establishment of a new competitive grant program for large highway projects;
- Increased accounting and reader-friendly reporting of how Highway Trust Fund dollars are spent;
- Accelerated project delivery reforms aimed to improve collaboration between agencies and create deadlines for agency action(s);
- An option for rural areas to bundle small projects such as bridges to increase efficiency;
- Encouragement of agencies on resilience planning and natural disaster risk reduction;
- Expanding tolling to be available for use on all new Interstate Highway System lane construction projects;
- Creating a new intelligent transportation systems grant to accelerate technology deployment; and
- Providing grants to states for continued and expanded pilot testing of future road user fee collection systems.
#FixTheTrustFund This Week: Keeping the U.S. from Driving into Potholes
June 22nd, 2015 | By: America's Infrastructure Report Card
The Highway Trust Fund (HTF) was set up in 1956 to fund the build and maintain a transportation network nationwide. Today, it is the national bank account for roads, bridges and transit that reimburses states for eligible projects. Inaction by Congress has put the Highway Trust Fund in jeopardy, and with a month left before the temporary funding fix runs out on July 31st, Congress is nowhere near to closing a deal to generate sustainable revenue for the nation’s highway, bridge, and transit systems – investments vital to the health of our recovering economy. #FixTheTrustFund is a call to action to solve this transportation problem today. This week Congress is slated to step up hearings on transportation. Here’s what we’ll be watching in national campaign to #FixTheTrustFund this week: June 23, 10 a.m.: Senate Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee markup of a fiscal 2016 transportation spending measure. (Listen live) June 24, 9:30 a.m.: Senate Environment and Public Works Committee to mark up the Developing a Reliable and Innovative Vision for the Economy, or DRIVE, Act. (Info) What to watch for: With the current strong bipartisan consensus, we expect the mark-up to go smoothly. That action will put pressure on the other authorizing committees and the Senate Finance Committee to secure their pieces of the bill before the July 31 legislative deadline. The Senate the Finance Committee will hold a hearing on private sector investment and public-private partnerships with the former Indiana governor Mitch Daniels and current Colorado DOT chief Shailen Bhatt. Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-OR) is expected to highlight his new bipartisan bill that would expand tax-exempt private activity bonds and create a new federal infrastructure tax credit. June 24, 2 p.m.: House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures hearing on the “taxation of the repatriation of foreign earnings as a funding mechanism for a multiyear highway bill.” (Info) What to watch: Across the Capitol in the U.S. House of Representatives, the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures will hold a hearing on the prospect of taxing U.S. corporate foreign earnings – otherwise known as repatriation – for deposit in the HTF, which the Obama Administration supports. This funding fix does not have unanimous support on either the Republican or Democratic side of the aisle, so expect some internal party disagreements on this as a solution along with some opposition from large, multinational corporations who will be on the hook to pay the tax. June 24, 2 p.m.: House Transportation and Infrastructure Highways and Transit Subcommittee hearing on “Meeting the Transportation Needs of Rural America.” (Watch live) June 25, 10 a.m.: Senate Finance Committee hearing on exploring ways that private financing could back infrastructure projects. (Info) Help Us #FixTheTrustFund 1. Tell Congress that it’s time to fix the Highway Trust Fund and increase our investment into transportation before the July deadline. 2. If you’re in MD, OR, CO, TX or WI, attend a Town Hall Meeting this week and ask your Member of Congress about their ideas on how to fix the Highway Trust Fund.| 6/24/2015 | Rep. Harris (R-MD-1) | This meeting is conducted by telephone.For more information on this meeting, follow this link: vekeo.com/event/congressman-andy-harris-06242015/?awesm=vekeo.buzz_t1u/ | Starts at 6:45 pm |
| 6/27/2015 | Sen. Wyden (D-OR) | Hood River Valley Adult Center2010 Sterling Dr.Hood River, OR 97031 | Starts at 1:00 pm |
| 6/27/2015 | Rep. Perlmutter (D-CO-7) | Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage4900 Kipling St.Wheat Ridge, CO 80033 | Starts at 10:00 am |
| 6/27/2015 | Rep. Sessions (R-TX-32) | Richland CollegeGarland Campus675 West Walnut StreetGarland, TX 75040-5023This meeting requires an RSVP. Register online.For more information on this meeting, follow this link: sessions.house.gov/index.cfm/june-town-hall | Starts at 11:00 am |
| 06/28/2015 | Rep. Sensenbrenner (R-WI-5th ) | Brookfield Public Safety Building 2100 North Calhoun Road Brookfield, WI 53005For more information on this meeting, follow this link: sensenbrenner.house.gov/contact/ | Starts at 7:00 pm |
Trust Fund Patches Won't Patch Potholes
May 22nd, 2015 | By: Olivia Wolfertz
Just in time for the start of summer travel and construction season, the Highway Trust Fund received yet another short-term extension this week. Congress has “punted” once again on passing a long-term highway and transit funding solution until July 31, 2015. This short-term patch is just the latest of temporary solution over the past six years. The Atlantic discussed Congress’ short-term patch response to extending the Highway Trust Fund another two months as a bipartisan issue. Senator James Inhofe (R-OK) told the Huffington Post that his own party was to blame for the absence of long-term solution and that a “true conservative” would support federal spending for roads and bridges. With funds dwindling, states are worried about the lack of federal funding for summer construction projects, announcing that construction projects like the Ashford Avenue Bridge Project and $36 million worth of projects in Montana could suffer if the Federal Highway Trust Fund expires. Wisconsin Public Radio used the recent Amtrak derailment to underscore the importance of addressing our nation’s infrastructure needs. ASCE’s Senior Managing Director Casey Dinges, who spoke on the program, stressed the importance of learning from past infrastructure calamities, noting that, “those events do capture the public’s attention, and regardless of the causes of some of these incidences, it does create an opportunity for people to talk about infrastructure needs.” With Memorial Day approaching May 25, our highway, bridge and aviation infrastructure will be put to the test. AAA Mid-Atlantic expects more than 800,000 area residents to be traveling at least 50 miles between Thursday and Monday, which is the most for any Memorial Day weekend in a decade. The increased number of vehicles on the nation’s deteriorating highways will undoubtedly also have safety implications. According to ASCE’s Report Card, roadway conditions are a significant factor in approximately one-third of all U.S. traffic fatalities and cost the U.S. economy $230 billion each year. In addition to roads, air transportation is also in need of tremendous investment and modernization. The House of Representatives released a report of U.S. airports, showing how they have failed to keep up with passenger capacity needs. The report highlights the significant challenges airports face during peak travel periods and delays due to inclement weather. Despite these unresolved issues, passenger fees continue to rise. Upgrade My Airport has released a petition to persuade Congress to upgrade our airports. Because infrastructure affects each one of us every day it is critical that Congress feels the pressure to come up with a long-term, sustainable funding solution and pass a multiyear bill by the end of July. If you want to get involved, please write to members of Congress why they need to fix the Highway Trust Fund.Tags: 2013 Report Card, aviation, highway trust fund, roads
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Arizona’s Growth Makes Infrastructure a Smart Investment
May 14th, 2015 | By: Infrastructure Report Card
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 opportunities and challenges to keep up. The opportunities – new businesses arriving, increased productivity, and new jobs for workers – are there, but so are the challenges – congestion, having to expand existing infrastructure, and keeping up with maintenance for new and old assets. Arizona’s benefited from keeping ahead of it’s growth challenges in the past by adding new aviation facilities, growing the interstate network, and adding transit options that have outperformed their ridership estimates. Look at what has happened in just Maricopa county as the greater Phoenix area has grown:
Investing in infrastructure has been well-timed and helped ease the growing pains of the state, especially in the Phoenix, but what about the future? To review the condition and needs of the state’s infrastructure both now and for the future, ASCE released the 2015 Report Card for Arizona’s Infrastructure on Wednesday as part of national Infrastructure Week. The Report Card assessed nine categories, giving the state an overall grade of “C.” While faring better than the nation’s infrastructure as a whole, the report reveals that the state’s infrastructure needs attention both for today and the future to keep up with growth. Here is a short video that explains the challenges facing Arizona’s infrastructure:
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The state anticipates a significant population increase in the coming decades, so maintaining and modernizing infrastructure will be crucial to meet the needs of Arizona’s communities in the future. The Report Card offers five key solutions to raise the grades and prepare Arizona for the future:
- We need infrastructure every day so we have to keep it working with good maintenance.
- Investing in infrastructure has allowed Arizona to grow, and investing in smart projects will keep it growing.
- Every community’s leaders should order an infrastructure health check-up.
- Borrowing from infrastructure funds just means you’ll pay more tomorrow.
- Planning for Arizona’s future starts today with sustainable choices, innovative investments, and resilience.
Tags: Arizona, growth, infrastructure, invest, roads, smart, water
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Majority of Americans Say Yes to Gas Tax Increase to Fund Transportation
April 30th, 2015 | By: Becky Moylan
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 action in the past few years to better fund their roads, bridges, and transit using this method, federal lawmakers have continued to be reluctant as previous research has indicated opposition to an increase. However, a new research poll shows that a majority of voters would support an increase to the gas tax, so long as it goes toward better transportation infrastructure. The study, released by the Mineta Transportation Institute, found 69 percent of respondents willing to pay a 10-cent per gallon increase for improved road maintenance. In addition to supporting an increased investment in roads and bridges, two-thirds of respondents also agreed that some gas tax revenues should go toward transit, as most people want good public transit service in their state. As Congress must act by May 31 to reauthorize the surface transportation law, this new study demonstrates that voters support finding the needed funding through an increase to the gas tax. While the 10-cent increase tested in this research would not grow our system in the future, it can act as a springboard to improve America’s roads, bridges, and transit. The bottom line: Americans want better transportation and they are willing to pay for it.Tags: bridges, gas tax, highway trust fund, public transit, roads
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Be a Part of Infrastructure Week
April 29th, 2015 | By: Infrastructure Report Card
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. – Infrastructure Week Launch: Breaking through to the Future
- TUESDAY in Cleveland, OH – Follow the Flow: Celebrating Clean Water Investments in the Cleveland Metro
- WEDNESDAY in Pittsburgh, PA – Pittsburgh on the Move and Infrastructure Advocacy Day in Washington, D.C.
- THURSDAY in New Orleans, LA – Infrastructure Delivers More Than You Think with Tour of Port NOLA
- FRIDAY in Washington, D.C. – Building Resilience through New Financing Vehicles
Tags: infrastructure, planes, ports, report card, roads, states, trains
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Michigan Must Say Yes to Safer Roads
April 8th, 2015 | By: Becky Moylan
In Michigan, a common saying is “there are two seasons: winter and road construction.” Rough winters and underinvestment for the past 50 years have led the Great Lakes state to have some of the worst roads in the nation. And while construction season may seem constant during the warmer months, the truth is currently the state cannot keep up with meeting the needs to maintain or improve roads and bridges. The continual underinvestment has led to a backlog of needs and safety issues. Gov. Rick Snyder has been advocating for the past few years that something needs to be done to change the state’s trajectory. Last December, in an eleventh hour deal, the state legislature decided to punt the decision to the voters. In just under a month, the option to increase funding for roads will be considered at the polls. If passed, Proposal 1 would raise $1.2 billion a year to be invested exclusively into transportation. As I drove around my hometown last week, this seemed like a no-brainer.
The intersection of 12 Mile and Drake has many deep and wide potholes.
- Raise the state sales tax rate by one penny, from 6 percent to 7 percent
- Implement a series of laws that exempt fuel from the sales tax, then impose a higher fuel tax whose revenue would be used exclusively for transportation
- Raise vehicle registration fees to increase transportation funding
- Raises $1.2 billion each year to increase investment in transportation—bringing Michigan more in line with the transportation investment of neighboring states
- Ensure every penny raised at the gas pump goes to improving Michigan’s roads, bridges and public transit
- Protect taxpayers by getting road builders to give warranties on the roads they build
Tags: bridges, Michigan, roads, surface transportation, transit
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Ice Cream Funding for Roads
March 20th, 2015 | By: Olivia Wolfertz
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 challenge to identify the worst potholes in the state. One creative business entrepreneur even invented a pothole ice cream flavor to generate awareness about road funding needs, and plans to donate 1 percent of sales from the product to the state for repairs . Come May 5, voters will be asked to consider Proposal 1, which among other things would boost the state sales tax to 7 percent to eventually generate an extra $1.2 billion annually for roads. Congress’ 2016 fiscal budget release, which proposes levying a onetime toll on untaxed foreign earnings currently sitting overseas and using the proceeds to pay for infrastructure projects, has generated more federal dialogue on transportation needs. During National Journal’s “Running on Empty: Tackling America’s Infrastructure Crisis” event on Thursday in Washington, D.C., Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx and House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster discussed our transportation funding needs in relation to the new budget proposals. “I feel confident that we will do a long-term bill, a five- or six-year bill,” Shuster said, “because both sides of the aisle, both sides of the Capitol, both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue, everybody’s talking about a long-term bill.” Though raising the federal gas tax is not on the immediate horizon for many states, several states have benefited from gas tax raises to generate transportation funding. ASCE Senior Managing Director Casey Dinges, reported that 11 states, both conservative and liberal, have raised their fuel taxes since 2013. Recently South Dakota signed legislation to increase its 22-cent gas tax by six cents starting April 1. While the decision regarding long-term, sustainable transportation funding must be made at the federal level, the outcome of the decision affects each American. Congressman John Delaney invited Maryland residents to share how America’s infrastructure has affected their daily lives. He wants Congress to understand how “long commutes, unsafe bridges and overcrowded ports, railways and airports have a direct impact on people’s lives, on their businesses, on the amount of time we all are able to spend with our loved ones.”Our nation’s infrastructure needs are great, and every day from Main Street to Wall Street Americans are paying the price. It is critical that Congress work quickly to pass legislation to provide a sustainable, long-term funding solution to #FixTheTrustFund.
Tags: congress, highway trust fund, roads
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