Author Archive
It’s the Final Countdown
July 24th, 2015 | By: Olivia Wolfertz
With one week left until the Highway Trust Fund expires, the Senate is kicking it into high gear to agree on a long-term surface transportation bill, even when it means working weekends. ASCE supports swift passage of the bill the Senate is currently considering, which includes, at its core, ASCE’s favored legislation the DRIVE Act, creates at least three years of solvency for the Highway Trust Fund (HTF), and includes safety provisions and transit policy. While the bill does not increase the gas tax, it does add revenue to the Highway Trust Fund that will provide three years of certain funding. On Thursday, TRIP, a transportation research group, released a new report that found 28 percent of major urban roads are in poor condition. The largest urban areas with the worst roads are San Francisco-Oakland and Los Angeles-Long Beach. On a brighter note, ASCE just released its #GameChangers report on Thursday to showcase some of the top trends in energy, freight, transportation and water that are paving the way for new innovative infrastructure projects. These game changing trends are examples of what is possible when communities invest, and serve as a reminder of the importance of prioritizing infrastructure at all levels of government. One of the projects featured in #GameChangers, the Lady Bird tunnel-boring machine, had a particularly big week. The machine that had been digging four-and-a-half miles beneath the Anacostia River tunnel system for the past two years finished its work and resurfaced. This revolutionary project is testimony to the infrastructure wonders that can be accomplished with increased investment and ingenuity. Ultimately, without a long-term funding solution for the Highway Trust Fund, we will not be able to fully modernize our infrastructure. Take a few minutes to urge the Senate to work as quickly as possible to agree on a long-term funding solution. You can write your Senators a letter or call their office and share the message to #FixTheTrustFund by the July 31 deadline.Time ticking away for Highway Trust Fund fix, but there is still hope
July 17th, 2015 | By: Olivia Wolfertz
Despite another action-packed week on the Hill, a long-term, sustainable funding solution for our nation’s transportation network still is not final. While the House voted for a short-term extension until December, there’s still hope that the Senate’s multi-year bill, the DRIVE Act, will prevail before the July 31 deadline. The House passed an $8.1 billion plan to fund the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) through December 18 by dedicating airport security fees and adjusting tax rules to keep the program solvent. While a short-term funding patch is better than shutting down the program and canceling projects, the House proposal is far short of the ideal: a well-funded, six-year highway and transit bill. Furthermore, the December punt would restart the countdown clock towards finding a long-term solution and extend construction uncertainty for five more months. The Senate will move towards debate on its six-year plan, the DRIVE Act, on Tuesday, July 21. Should that vote succeed, Senate leaders will then quickly work to compile the remaining policy pieces necessary to form a comprehensive six-year road, bridge and transit bill before the July 31 legislative deadline. In recent days, senators have stated publicly that they are not optimistic about being able to fully fund the six-year DRIVE Act by July 31, but they have indicated they will try and generate as much funding as possible to get the maximum length while still growing the program. In a roundtable discussion with reporters on Wednesday, Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said that, “All the politics have all shaped around getting back to baseline funding, as if baseline funding is going to solve our problems. Meanwhile, the public is seeing conditions get worse and worse and worse, and so they’re wondering, ‘Why am I paying into this system and it’s getting worse?’” ASCE’s Failure to Act Transportation Study supports this claim. While Congress is attempting to agree on the right funding solution, states are paying the price for Washington’s lack of action. On Tuesday, The USDOT notified states that federal funding for state transportation projects will run critically low starting sometime in August. USDOT also announced road and bridge conditions in each state, utilizing ASCE data to make the case for investment. States like Florida, New Hampshire, Ohio, Kentucky, Texas, New York, New Jersey, Mississippi, Oklahoma and others are beginning to realize how lack of federal funding and certainty affects their state’s infrastructure needs. Without a long-term funding solution, state infrastructure projects will continue to be negatively impacted. With only two weeks left before the deadline to reauthorize the federal surface transportation program, it is more critical than ever before that Congress act quickly to pass a multi-year bill with a long-term funding solution before July 31. Write a letter, call your Senators’ and Representatives’ offices, and tweet using #FixTheTrustFund to remind your representation in Washington that they have a job to do and a deadline fast approaching.Gas Tax Gets New Attention
July 10th, 2015 | By: Olivia Wolfertz
The hour glass is running thinner on the federal surface transportation program. Congress has only three weeks left to pass a robust, multiyear surface transportation bill before the self-imposed deadline. This week ASCE joined with the American Road and Transportation Builders Association in sponsoring an ad directed at Congress and the President, asking that they continue the legacy of federal investment in transportation. One Congressman introduced legislation this week that could be an answer to that call. Republican Rep. Tom Rice’s legislation, “The Highway Trust Fund Certainty Act,” would raise the federal gas tax by 10.1 cents-per-gallon and index the rate to inflation. This rate would increase Trust Fund revenues by $17 billion—addressing the current funding shortfall and allowing slight growth to the program. In a letter to the Congressman, ASCE commended Rep. Rice’s leadership on this issue, but noted that additional federal investment will still be required to meet our nation’s long-term surface transportation infrastructure needs. Another gas tax increase proposal, the UPDATE Act, also continues to gain supporters and now has 35 co-sponsors. Meanwhile, Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx is urging Congress to step up and pass a long-term highway funding bill. “We’ve got some problems. I would label it a crisis — a legitimate, disturbing and alarming crisis in our infrastructure system,” Foxx told a small group of reporters at the department’s headquarters Wednesday. He also warned that the administration will begin to notify states about the threat to their transportation funding if Congress doesn’t pass a long-term extension soon. States like Alabama, Massachusetts, Montana, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Missouri and more are publicly acknowledging their dire infrastructure needs and have begun to halt construction due to the uncertainty of federal funding. With three weeks left, it’s important that your Members of Congress hear from you about why they must work together to come up with a long-term funding solution before July 31 in order to #FixTheTrustFund. Write a letter, call you Senators’ and Representative’s offices, and tweet using #FixTheTrustFund to remind your representation in Washington they have a job to do and a deadline fast approaching.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.Momentum to DRIVE up infrastructure funding
June 26th, 2015 | By: Olivia Wolfertz
With a new surface transportation re-authorization bill on the table, the process to pass a long-term bill before Congress’ July 31 deadline is materializing. This week the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee passed a six-year, $278 billion surface transportation reauthorization bill called the Developing a Reliable and Innovative Vision for the Economy (DRIVE) Act. This bipartisan bill would increase funding for highway programs by approximately $2.5 billion per year. The Senate Finance Committee held a hearing, which explored federal, state and local financing options for road, bridge, and transit projects. After Congress returns from the Independence Day recess, it is possible that additional Senate committees will act to put the final pieces of the transportation bill into place before the July 31 deadline. Funding the bill is the key challenge, with no consensus yet on where to come up with the approximately $100 billion necessary to fund the DRIVE Act. While Congress is working on funding a long-term bill, more states are being affected by the lack of certainty. As a reminder of why our country desperately needs to increase investment into the program, The Washington Post featured TRIP’s latest analysis on the best and worst road conditions in the nation, showing that 28 percent of our nation’s roadways are in “poor” condition. Drivers in six states plus the District of Columbia can expect to pay well over $600 a year in extra vehicle upkeep costs due to bad roads, and drivers in Oklahoma and California will pay up to $760 per year. These dire road needs nation-wide demonstrate it’s time for us to modernize our transportation network, and further prove that states cannot wait for Congress to act. Several states are struggling to fund much-needed state infrastructure projects and taking infrastructure funding matters into their own hands. In Arizona, Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton discussed how he recognizes that improving infrastructure will take all levels of government—and that Congress must do its part by passing a multiyear surface transportation bill., In Maryland, Governor Hogan announced that the state would allocate $1.97 billion for road, bridge and highway improvement projects, emphasizing that “building, maintaining and fixing Maryland’s roads and bridges is our top transportation priority.” Similarly, Arkansas’ and Delaware’s local state construction projects are stalled due to uncertainty of federal highway funding. With the July 31 deadline quickly approaching, it is more critical than ever to urge Congress to pass a sustainable, long-term funding proposal that will #FixTheTrustFund.Final Inning for Highway Trust Fund Fix
June 5th, 2015 | By: Olivia Wolfertz
With Congress back in session, the countdown for a long-term sustainable solution to fund transportation infrastructure is back on. At this point, lawmakers are in agreement that our infrastructure needs serious attention, yet Congress is in gridlock on finding a long-term solution. Underinvestment in infrastructure does not only lead to a growing backlog of maintenance, but also a drag on the economy. If Congress does not increase investment in the next long-term surface transportation bill, our aging roads, bridges and transit will become an even greater drag on our economy. A recent article in the Wall Street Journal explains how poor transportation infrastructure harms businesses, who rely on roads and highways to transport goods in a timely, cost-effective way. This article discusses how road congestion affects businesses by hindering the movement of supplies and lengthening workers’ daily commutes. An effective supply chain relies upon a reliable transportation network, which in turn bolsters the economy. Legislation to raise the federal gas tax, like the bipartisan Bridge to Sustainable Infrastructure Act, would index the gas tax to future inflation and provide Congress strong incentive to bring our transportation costs and revenue under control by creating an automatic revenue increase if Congress fails to act in a year. In a recent CNBC op-ed, Reid Ribble explained that the only way to address our $16 billion annual shortfall is to either cut costs or raise revenues, making a federal gas tax increase the most attractive option. Business Insider emphasized that the Bridge to Sustainable Infrastructure Act is supported by a diverse group of organizations that rely on infrastructure to do business, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, The American Trucking Association and The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO). On another note, states are flexing their creative muscles to come up with ways to fund their infrastructure needs. In Oregon, ODOT has created a new program called OReGO, which will be the first tested vehicle miles traveled program in the nation. Volunteers will be charged 1.5 cents per mile and will be offered a tax credit reimbursing them for the 31-cent-per-gallon Oregon gas tax. Though Oregonians are excited about this new program, they remain resolved that the federal government find a long-term, sustainable funding solution. With time once again running out, it is critical that Congress feels the pressure to come up with a long-term, sustainable funding solution and passes a multi-year bill by the end of July. If you want to get involved, please write your members of Congress and let them know why America needs a fix to the Highway Trust Fund.Tags: gas tax, highway trust fund
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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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Infrastructure Needs Crescendo
May 15th, 2015 | By: Olivia Wolfertz
With major delays on the DC metro during rush hour, two train derailments, and Arizona’s state report card release, 15 days until the Highway Trust Fund expires, Infrastructure Week highlighted the importance of investing in infrastructure through and a week of planned infrastructure awareness events and the unforeseen infrastructure problems. echo the pleas for a sustainable funding solution. After an Amtrak train derailed on along the Northeast Corridor Tuesday night killing eight and injuring over 200 people, our nation’s rail infrastructure was thrust into the spotlight. Despite the exact causes for the derailment, which are still unknown, the incident prompted a national conversation about the need to increase investment into our infrastructure. Outlets including International Business Times ,CNBC and Slate discussed the derailment in the context of our aging infrastructure needs, quoting ASCE’s Infrastructure Report Card recommendation to “improve passenger rail in dense urban corridor markets and as an alternative to air and automobile travel for intercity markets.” Even if poor rail conditions didn’t cause the derailment, ASCE agrees that a better-funded and maintained system could have prevented it. According to the Philadelphia Business Journal, Amtrak is expected to “quadruple its total ridership by 2040,” yet the U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Committee cut Amtrak funding by $252 million this week. While derailments like Tuesday’s have numerous causation factors, infrastructure increased investment is necessary to modernize the system regardless. In addition to Amtrak, 11 to 13 cars from a freight train derailed on Thursday in Pittsburgh, Pa., causing traffic backups. Though this incident did not cause any injuries, the damage expenses reflect the need for better investment upfront. The Washington Post explores the cost of delaying infrastructure repairs and contrasts it with the opportunity investing in infrastructure creates. point to the need for a long-term, sustainable funding solution as Improving the current planning and funding process would not only necessary for maintenance but a way to enhance our nation’s competitiveness, sustainable footprint and create up to an estimated 2 million jobs, the author argues. The Arizona Report Card advocates for keeping infrastructure in a state of good repair because of how important it is to our daily lives. Further, the report underscores the need to invest in smart projects that will support Arizona’s expected population growth and make the state even more economically competitive. Due to infrastructure needs becoming more visibly apparent, states like Arizona have released a state infrastructure report card to carefully evaluate their nation’ infrastructure needs. For Arizona, the infrastructure report card helps them determine which infrastructure sectors need the most investment. From DC’s Metro delays on Monday morning, to state DOTs warning what is at stake if Congress does not fix the Highway Trust Fund , this week shows it’s time for Congress to come together in a bipartisan fashion and Given the Highway Trust Fund’s impending insolvency, it is more critical than ever that Congress work together to pass legislation to that provides a sustainable, long-term funding solution to #FixTheTrustFund.Tags: highway trust fund, infrastructure report card, rail
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The Clock Ticks Louder
May 8th, 2015 | By: Olivia Wolfertz
Photo Credit: SDOT Photos
In Missouri, the state gas tax has not been raised in 20 years, despite construction costs rising by 200 percent. Because Missouri has 1,600 bridges that are more than 75 years old, lack of funding is a growing issue. After an emergency bridge closure disrupted traffic flow this week, Governor Jay Nixon encouraged lawmakers to pass a bill that would increase the tax on motor fuels by 1.5 cents and the diesel tax by 3.5 cents. Without action, the governor said Missouri won’t have enough revenue to match federal dollars, which means the state will not see needed repairs, resulting in more traffic, and fewer jobs. In Nebraska, the unicameral legislature passed a 6-cent gas tax increase over four years, Legislative Bill 610, Gov. Ricketts promptly vetoed the bill, which now returns to the legislature for a likely override. In Michigan, Proposition 1, which would have increased the state gas tax and raised $1.3 billion for road maintenance, was vehemently rejected, leaving Michiganders left with poor road conditions and back at the drawing board to increase investments. On a positive note, in Washington state, both the House and Senate have passed separate bills to increase state transportation funding. The House plan gives Sound Transit authorization to ask voters for up to $15 billion to extend its light-rail system, and House democrats want to continue using some sales-tax revenue collected from construction projects for the general fund. The Senate plan would authorize up to $11 billion, and would funnel that money back to transportation projects. Right now there is no certainty over which plan will prevail. Both plans include similar highway, bridge and pedestrian projects and raise about $15 billion over 16 years by gradually increasing the gas tax to 11.7 cents. Next week is Infrastructure Week, which could not come at a more opportune time as Congress has 22 days until the highway and transit policy expires. It is crucial these conversations lead to action that ensures a sustainable, long-term funding solution to #FixTheTrustFund.#TBT to a year ago when we heard a year would give “the space” to do a long-term bill. It’s time to #fixthetrustfund pic.twitter.com/x5dzY4IGFf
— Senator Tom Carper (@SenatorCarper) May 7, 2015
Highway Trust Fund Insolvency: 30 Days and Counting
May 1st, 2015 | By: Olivia Wolfertz
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, sustainable funding solution. There have been several bills proposed by legislators in the past few months. The Update Act and Repatriation bill are two proposals that have garnered considerable media attention. In USA Today, Rep. Paul Ryan lauded the Repatriation bill, aimed at lowering the tax rate on overseas profits earned by U.S. corporations and using the tax revenue for the Highway Trust Fund, as part of a permanent reform going from a worldwide system to a “more internationally competitive exemption system.” ASCE supports these bills to fund surface transportation; however neither proposal has gained significant traction or bipartisan consensus on Capitol Hill. According to a recent poll by Mineta Transportation Institute, 71 percent of voters would be willing to pay a dime more than the current 18.4 cents-per-gallon gas tax if the money is spent on “projects to maintain streets, roads and highways.” In contrast to funding patches, raising the federal gas tax would be a stable source of direct funding for transportation infrastructure. While things at the federal level seem to have stalled, in Michigan voters will soon vote on Proposition 1, which would increase the state sales tax by 1 percent to generate around $1.2 billion a year for roads and at least $107 million annually for public transit and passenger rail. These state and federal propositions are steps in the right direction for restoring our nation’s transportation infrastructure. Given the Highway Trust Fund’s impending insolvency, it is more critical than ever that Congress work together to pass legislation to provide a sustainable, long-term funding solution to #FixTheTrustFund.
