Author Archive
Another packed week in Washington
April 24th, 2015 | By: Olivia Wolfertz
As the clock ticks, post-winter pothole damage accumulates and families and businesses are increasingly affected by the outdated infrastructure conditions, lawmakers and members of Congress are raising their voices to find sustainable funding solutions.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. In Michigan, harsh winters and lack of repairs have left only 17 percent of the roads in good condition, costing vehicle owners an additional $132 in damage costs each year. Since Michigan’s “largest economic sectors-manufacturing, agriculture and tourism-are highly reliant on an efficient and well-maintained transportation system,” addressing transportation needs is critical to the state’s economic well being. In response to the great investment need, Proposal 1, an amendment that would raise the state sales tax from 6 percent to 7 percent, would help pay for road repair among other things. Infrastructure impacts every sector of our economy —including our nation’s agriculture. A recent article in National Journal explored the challenges farmers and ranchers face in getting their products to markets both here and overseas through waterways, rails, roads and ports. In order to support our nation’s agriculture, locks and dams need to be rebuilt, roads need to be resurfaced, trains need new tracks and ports need modernization and stable labor relations. This week the U.S. Senate held two hearings on the federal transit program. During the hearings, the Banking Committee heard from transit stakeholders and Acting Federal Transit Administration Chief Therese McMillan on the need to provide additional funding for capital grants to match the growth in transit projects seeking funding. The Senate Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Subcommittee also held a hearing on the Obama administration’s fiscal year 2016 (FY16) budget request, which includes the surface transportation re-authorization GROW America proposal. During the hearing, Foxx addressed questions about GROW America’s ability to ensure long-term solvency of the Highway Trust Fund. In response to criticisms that the act would not ensure long-term solvency of the Highway Trust Fund, Foxx pointed to the hope that visible infrastructure improvements might motivate lawmakers to secure a long-term federal funding solution. These state and federal propositions are steps in the right direction for restoring our nation’s 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.Tags: #HighwayTrustFund, congress, infrastructure
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Ideas to Fix the Trust Fund
April 17th, 2015 | By: Olivia Wolfertz
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 Thursday a bipartisan group of House members filed legislation to increase the federal gas tax to match inflation in order to finance our much-needed transportation investment. The Bridge to Sustainable Infrastructure Act would increase the gas tax to recoup its purchasing power, thus generating $27.5 billion that can be used to pay for nearly two years’ worth of transportation. In the release announcement explaining what prompted the lawmakers to propose this solution, Reps. Jim Renacci (R-Ohio), Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.), Reid Ribble (R-Wis.), and Dan Lipinski (D-Ill.) explained “We refuse to pass on the liability of our deteriorating roads and bridges to our children and grandchildren. The longer we wait to fix our crumbling infrastructure, the more it will cost in the long-run,” in a joint statement about the bill. On April 15, Representative Delaney and Representative Hanna wrote a letter to their fellow members of Congress emphasizing the importance of committing to a long-term sustainable funding bill and supporting their bill, the Infrastructure 2.0 Act that has bipartisan support to repatriate overseas capital for domestic infrastructure repairs. On the Senate side, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) have a bill to replenish the Highway Trust Fund, also through repatriation. All three of these efforts exemplify that infrastructure has historically been a bipartisan success, and that finding a solution to federal transportation investment is no different. Finding a long-term federal transportation funding solution affects each state and its ability to effectively plan projects. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, Arkansas, Delaware, Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee and Wyoming have already postponed transportation projects because of funding delays. With 44 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.Tags: gas tax, highway trust fund, surface transportation
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Water main breaks, power outage and a thinning hourglass for federal highway funds
April 10th, 2015 | By: Olivia Wolfertz
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 causes a water main break once every two minutes. On Wednesday, a 12-inch water main broke in New York City, forcing the evacuation of 500 people from a train and shutting down the surrounding trains and streets in the process. In California, the current water shortage crisis due to drought will require the state to spend $39 billion to meet its population’s drinking and, dry weather and a large population, means that they need to spend $39 billion to meet its population’s drinking water needs. Water infrastructure, including locks and dams, are critical to facilitating trade. According to the National Journal, more than $200 billion worth of goods are shipped every year on massive barges crawling along major rivers and tributaries. But the aging locks and dams built nearly a century ago are hindering ships’ ability to transport goods efficiently. “Just imagine what that does for commerce—if you’re shipping a product down the river and it just stops,” ASCE Past President Greg DiLoreto said. “There’s a real economic tie to the condition of this infrastructure.” In addition to water infrastructure, electric infrastructure also needs maintenance and attention. On Tuesday, a widespread power outage in D.C. and the surrounding area affected many government buildings, four surrounding museums and select subway stations. Water and electricity infrastructure are crucial to our nation’s economy and trade and impact the daily life of all Americans. The highway and transit policy expires in less than two months. It is important that Congress work together to pass legislation to provide a sustainable, long-term funding solution to #FixTheTrustFund.Tags: highway trust fund, water infrastructure
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Transportation Knows Neither Red Nor Blue
April 3rd, 2015 | By: Olivia Wolfertz
With the Grow America Act gaining national attention and an increasing number of states raising their gas tax, our nation’s infrastructure funding needs are being addressed more intentionally. However, with the federal surface transportation bill (MAP-21) expiring at the end of May, Congress is running out of time to pass a sustainable funding solution. In Michigan, standing alongside Governor Rick Snyder, DOT Secretary Anthony Foxx pitched the Grow America Act that would tax corporations’ overseas profits and gasoline to raise $478 billion over six years for road and transit improvements. Gov. Snyder is campaigning for a proposal to raise more than $1 billion for statewide road improvements in Michigan. Both of these transportation bills seek to efficiently fund underinvested roads. In response to Foxx and Snyder’s propositions and to motivate bipartisan cooperation to find a sustainable funding solution, Rep. Debbie Dingell noted that, “We don’t have Democratic or Republican potholes.” Democratic and Republican legislators in several states throughout the country have either made or proposed gas tax increases. According to The Atlantic, Republican governors in Utah, Iowa, Georgia, Michigan and South Dakota have proposed gas tax increases. In Utah, a Republican state senator, Kevin Van Tassell, said that the gas tax, “might be dying but it’s not dead and it’s probably the cheapest and most effective tax we have to administer and collect.” Clearly governors of both parties are realizing that raising their gas tax is a necessary step to funding aging infrastructure. These state and federal propositions are steps in the right direction for restoring our nation’s 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.Two Year Anniversary of the Report Card
March 27th, 2015 | By: Olivia Wolfertz
Two years ago this month, we released our 2013 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure. Our nation’s D+ infrastructure grade is critical to share as we advocate for infrastructure investment, especially given the Highway Trust Fund is headed toward insolvency this summer. Over the past year, ASCE and the Report Card have received more than 24,000 total mentions since its release in 2013. In 2014 alone, there have been over 9,000 media mentions in all 50 states and 15 countries around the world. The majority of these mentions discuss the findings of the Report Card and the $3.6 trillion investment needed by 2020. We are proud that every day the hard work of our members earns the attention of the media and the public. To celebrate a successful year of coverage and meaningful conversations here is a compilation of a few of our favorite media mentions. CBS News—part 1 and part 2 CBS-60 Minutes HBO-John Oliver Show CSPAN NBC Nightly News Marketplace RadioIce 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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This Week in Infrastructure: Water Infrastructure Incurs More Attention
March 13th, 2015 | By: Olivia Wolfertz
Amidst the visible need for highway, bridge and pothole repairs, we often forget the growing needs of our nation’s water infrastructure. According to ASCE’s Report Card, there are 240,000 water main breaks per year and trillions of gallons of water are lost each year due to “leaky pipes, broken water mains and faulty meters.” Cities throughout the nation, including Toledo and Philadelphia, are dealing with water main breaks and struggling to pay for the upkeep and improvements of their water infrastructure. In the past 30 years, Philadelphia has had between 439 and 1,316 water main breaks per year. These types of water issues underscore the need for significant investment. To combat this growing problem, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) established the Global Smart Cities Challenge, which will showcase wireless networks’ ability to power every day solutions for large utility problems. Using wireless sensor technology, water utilities can proactively locate and fix leaks, monitor decreases or increases in water pressure and monitor video feeds which ensure security for critical water distribution infrastructure. In addition to drinking and wastewater infrastructure, America’s waterways are also in need of investment and maintenance. Waterways Council Inc. (WCI), a group that advocates for modernizing the national system of ports and inland waterways, is pushing for more federal funding for the Army Corps of Engineers, which is chiefly responsible for building and maintaining water infrastructure. In a letter they sent to the House and Senate, WCI and more than 40 organizations advocated for increased funding to address maritime transportation emphasizing that, “we must maintain our navigation channels and inland waterways for safe and efficient freight.” WCI and other inland waterways stakeholders are hoping for successful allocation of WRRDA funding and sound use of the increased revenue to the trust fund. Ultimately, water infrastructure needs just as much attention as our transportation infrastructure. Nevertheless, it is still critical that Congress work quickly to pass legislation to provide a sustainable, long-term funding solution to #FixTheTrustFund.Tags: Drinking Water, water infrastructure, water resources development act, waterways
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HBO comedy program, new rail legislation bring hope for infrastructure renewal
March 6th, 2015 | By: Olivia Wolfertz
When our nation’s infrastructure woes become the source of comedic entertainment on a major cable channel—it underscores that the problem must be addressed. Fortunately, action on Capitol Hill pressing for funding legislation and transportation reform is already underway. It is not news that our nation’s roads, bridges and transit need maintenance, but when popular television shows bring these issues to light, they become harder to ignore. John Oliver’s HBO episode (containing adult content) featuring our nations “roads, bridges, dams … basically anything that can be destroyed in an action movie,” showcases deteriorating infrastructure conditions in a comedic yet effective manner. He highlights the widespread need for all areas of America’s infrastructure to be addressed, reminding us of daily water main breaks, cracks in bridge support beams and other evidences of needed infrastructure repair. Secretary Foxx took center stage on the issue this week, speaking to the Senate Commerce Committee and promoting the Obama Administration’s funding plan for a six-year, $478 billion surface transportation bill which would be funded through a new tax on overseas corporate earnings. In addition to surface transportation, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Michael Huerta urged lawmakers to create stable, long-term funding and “operational flexibility” in reauthorizing legislation set to be debated in Congress this year. Huerta underscored the Obama Administration’s support for raising passenger facility charges (PFCs) to $8.00 per leg, per flight which is in line with ASCE’s policy recommendation. This funding would go towards airport modernization and traveler experience upgrades. On Wednesday, the House of Representatives passed by an overwhelming margin (316-101), bipartisan legislation that would reauthorize national passenger rail programs for a four-year period. The bill seeks to reform Amtrak by reducing costs, creating greater accountability and transparency, leveraging private sector resources, and accelerating rail project delivery. “The Passenger Rail Reform and Investment Act will vastly improve commuter and passenger rail systems across the country, helping save American families’ time and money in transportation costs,” said Jeff Denham, chairman of the hazardous materials subcommittee of the transportation and infrastructure committee. While funding legislation for aviation and Amtrak is encouraging, it is still critical that Congress work quickly to pass legislation to provide a sustainable, long-term funding solution to #FixTheTrustFund.Tags: highway trust, infrastructure, legislation
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This Week in Infrastructure: Transportation Investment Has a Promising Moment
February 27th, 2015 | By: Olivia Wolfertz
Two state report cards releases, legislation passed to raise Iowa’s state gas tax, and promising discussions on federal transportation funding, give us reasons to be optimistic about the future of our nation’s infrastructure. After a week-long recess, House Republicans Reid Ribble of Wisconsin, Tom Reed (NY) and Democrats Dan Lipinski (Ill.) and Bill Pascrell Jr. (NJ) sent a bipartisan letter that included signatures from 284 representatives to House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) regarding their mutual support for a long-term, sustainable transportation funding solution. Though an exact funding solution has not yet been agreed upon, it is encouraging to see growing bipartisan support to #FixTheTrustFund. Aside from individual state’s steps toward addressing infrastructure needs and funding, there has been more dialogue at the federal level calling for a long-term, sustainable funding solution. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx spoke to the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) on Wednesday regarding the need for Congress to pass a long-term bill that meets the needs of a “growing 21st century America,” saying that “there is a moment that is shaping up here for something good can happen.” Iowa lawmakers already took swift action to improve the transportation grades by raising their gas tax by 10 cents per gallon for the first time since 1989. The gas tax increase, which goes into effect Sunday, March 1, will provide an additional $215 million annually for Iowa’s network of bridges and roads that are in need of repair. Iowa also released their state infrastructure report card, which gave them an overall grade of C-, with solid waste being the highest ranked and levees and electrical energy ranking the lower. Though Iowa has a lot of work to do still, their GPA reveals great progress. Utah also released their state report card this week, giving them an overall GPA of C-, with roads and bridges being in the best shape and levees and canals being in the worst shape. The Utah Transportation Coalition has rallied for the legislature to boost transportation funding through a gas tax to anticipate maintenance needs for the growing population. These state initiatives and federal actions signal a shift in the tide to restore our nation’s infrastructure. It is more critical than ever before that Congress work together to pass legislation to provide a sustainable, long-term funding solution to #FixTheTrustFund.This Week in Infrastructure: State Solutions, Innovations for Infrastructure Improvement
February 20th, 2015 | By: Olivia Wolfertz
Photo Credit: Frederick Dennstedt
Tags: gas tax, highway trust fund, water infrastructure
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