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2014 ASCE Government Relations Year in Review
January 1st, 2015 | By: America's Infrastructure Report Card
ASCE staff and members worked throughout the year on a variety of issues important to the profession. From the passage and enactment of the Water Resources Reform and Development Act in the spring and early summer, to the #FixTheTrustFund campaign throughout the summer, and state and local ballot initiatives supporting infrastructure investment this fall, we have much to celebrate.
Federal Issues
Passing the water resources reform & development act
ASCE provided critical support leading to the enactment of the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014 (WRRDA). Highlights- Created a levee safety program
- Solves long standing expenditure issues with the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund
- Makes a number of long-sought changes to the Clean Water State Revolving Fund
- Creates a new water infrastructure nancing program (WIFIA)
Reauthorizing map-21 & highway trust fund 
As a result of the society’s efforts, an immediate crisis to the Highway Trust Fund was averted and the program was extended until May 2015. Further effort will be necessary in 2015 to urge Congress to identify additional revenues to provide multi-year funding and project certainty.
ASCE President Randy Over, P.E., F.ASCE, with US Department of Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx
- Increasing program funding and financing available to deliver projects
- Focusing on freight to improve national economic competitiveness
- Streamlining the environmental review process in a responsible way
State Issues
States Leading the Way
Transportation infrastructure financing was again one of the top issues facing states in 2014, and ASCE played a key role in supporting measures across the country. ASCE actively supported the gas tax increase passed in New Hampshire during the 2014 session. Several transportation and infrastructure ballot measures that ASCE supported were approved by voters on Election Day. Measures that passed include:- California (bond measure to improve the state’s water storage and delivery system)
- Hawaii (sale of special use bonds for dam and reservoir improvements)
- Maine (water bond measure)
- Maryland (“lockbox” for state Transportation Trust Fund)
- Rhode Island (bonds to invest in transit infrastructure)
- Texas (proposal to divert rainy day fund towards road improvements)
- Wisconsin (constitutional protection “lockbox” for state transportation fund).
Partnering with Sections & Other Groups
ASCE actively collaborated with Sections on issues in Alabama (dam safety), Illinois (opposition to erosion of QBS), New York (bridge investment), and New Jersey (passage of Good Samaritan legislation).
AK Representative Sam Kito, P.E., M.ASCE, and Dale Nelson, P.E., F.ASCE, assisted in presenting ASCE issues to state legislators at the NCSL meeting in Anchorage, AK.
Raising the Bar
State GR staff provided ongoing support to the Raise the Bar Committee, and assisted in government relations planning in several potential Raise the Bar target states.
Infrastructure Initiatives
Growing the State Report Card Program
ASCE volunteers worked, with help from ASCE staff, to release 8 state and local Infrastructure Report Cards in 2014 that have received unprecedented media coverage in their communities. From media interviews to billboards to legislative events, 100+ ASCE members volunteered with our Report Card efforts.Maximizing The Value Of Transportation Investments
ASCE teamed with the Eno Center for Transportation to promote the bene ts of looking at life cycle costs early in transportation planning, producing a joint report, “Maximizing the Value of Investments Using Life Cycle Cost Analysis”. The report was released at a packed event on Capitol Hill with Federal Highway Administration leaders.Focusing on Business Leaders
We are reaching the business community with our infrastructure message. ASCE partnered on two events this year with the St. Louis Chamber of Commerce and Georgia Chamber of Commerce to highlight the Report Card and infrastructure’s critical link to economic growth.
Grassroots Advocacy
Calling Attention to Advocacy Efforts by Individual ASCE Members
Key Contact Program
- New Advocacy Pro les series on the ASCE Roundup highlighted member involvement in activities at the local, state and federal levels
- Outstanding Civil Engineer Advocate of the Year Awards honored members who went above and beyond for ASCE’s issues
Legislative Fly-In
ASCE members from Florida take part in the 2014 Legislative Fly-In in Washington, DC
- 185 participants from 43 states
- Meetings with over 200 Congressional offi ces
- Additional ASCE members participated in the Transportation Construction Coalition Fly-In in June 2014 with over 200 members from our transportation industry coalition partners
Media Engagements
2014 Highlights
8,807 mentions in all 50 states and 15 countries around the world, including 5,969 Report Card mentions 347 stories appeared in major media outlets/wire services including: USA Today, LA Times, NBC News, CBS News, ABC News, Fox News, Chicago Tribune, NY Daily News, Time Magazine, NPR, Washington Post, MSNBC, U.S. News & World Report, Forbes, Reuters, AP and othersMedia Major Highlights
- NBC Nightly News (7/31/14) interview with Casey Dinges
- Marketplace radio (Aug. 2014) interview with Greg DiLoreto about aging water infrastructure following water main break near UCLA campus
- 60 Minutes interview with Andy Herrmann about the state of nation’s bridges – 11/23/14
Download 2014 Government Relations Year in Review as a PDF to print out or share with colleagues.
ASCE Seeks Nominations for Outstanding Civil Engineer Advocate of the Year
October 7th, 2014 | By: America's Infrastructure Report Card
Have you gone above and beyond to represent the civil engineering profession before your elected officials? You could be our next Outstanding Civil Engineer Advocate of the Year! If you are one of the many ASCE Key Contacts actively building relationships with and educating your elected leaders on issues important to the civil engineering profession, we would like to recognize your efforts.
- Nominate an individual (including yourself!)
- Nominate a group (such as a Section, Branch, or Younger Member Group)
Tags: advocacy
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The Time is Now to Invest in Airports
October 2nd, 2014 | By: America's Infrastructure Report Card
Travel delays at airports have become all too common place. In fact, the surprise usually is that a flight makes it to its destination on time (or if the travel gods are feeling particularly generous, you might make it to your destination a few minutes early). Some of this is beyond anyone’s control: weather patterns and airplane mechanical problems to name a few. But part of this problem is most certainly self-imposed. Inadequate investment in the nation’s aviation system has real consequences, beyond simply making you a few minutes late for check-in at your arriving hotel. In ASCE’s 2013 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure the Society gave a grade of “D” to the aviation sector. Our Failure to Act report highlights the sobering reality that this lack of aviation sector investment has on the broader U.S. economy: a projected $313 billion in loss of GDP by 2020 and 350,000 fewer jobs throughout the economy by 2020. The Society’s dedication to this issue does not stop with economic reports, but rather this data is the gateway to engaging elected officials to act on solutions to these problems. That is why ASCE recently joined with aviation sector stakeholders, such as airports and state legislators, to supports an increase in the passenger facility charge (PFC) cap which would allow airports to raise necessary funds locally for improving the nation’s aviation infrastructure. Funds raised through PFCs are only eligible for use at the airport in which they were collected and can be used on projects to preserve or enhance the safety, security and capacity of the national air transportation system. This funding solution is expected to be under consideration when Congress turns its attention crafting to a broader Federal Aviation Authorization (FAA) reform bill early next year. Until then, you can show support for an improved aviation system by writing your Members of Congress here and using the hashtag #AirportsUnited to help spread the message. It’s time to take human error related to political gridlock out of the equation when it comes to getting travelers to their destinations safely, on-time and hopefully with a little less stress.Tags: Airports, aviation, infrastructure, transportation
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ASCE Members Participate in White House Summit on Infrastructure Investment
September 11th, 2014 | By: America's Infrastructure Report Card
As a part of what the White House has deemed its “Year of Action” campaign to move policy ideas and initiatives forward in the face of Congressional gridlock, the Obama Administration recently held an Infrastructure Investment Summit aimed at soliciting ideas on how to better leverage available financing to deliver projects in the transportation, water, telecommunications and energy sectors. Participants included cabinet secretaries from the departments of Treasury, Transportation and Commerce as well as leaders from industry, finance, philanthropy and state and local government. Two ASCE members, Anthony Bartolomeo, P.E., F.ASCE who is chairman of the Society’s Industry Leaders Council and Robert Victor, P.E., F.ASCE who chairs ASCE’s Committee on America’s Infrastructure which produced the Society’s national Infrastructure Report Card, participated in the day-long summit with Bartolomeo moderating a small breakout session with Treasury Secretary Jack Lew and Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx in attendance. The goal of the meeting was to identify barriers to accelerating private investment in the US infrastructure network and develop strategies to further deploy the billions of domestic and foreign dollars currently sitting on the sidelines. The summit will inform an interagency report on the topic which is due for delivery to President Obama on November 14, 2014.
Using the summit as a platform for announcement, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) declared a $950 million TIFIA loan would be provided for the Orlando, Florida Interstate 4 highway project, which signifies the biggest TIFIA loan to date for a public private partnership (P3). USDOT also announced that it had cleared efforts by Pennsylvania DOT to utilize a $1.2 billion private activity bond allocation to replace more than 500 small bridges within a P3 arrangement. USDOT has recently launched the Build America Transportation Investment Center which released at the summit model P3 contract provisions in order to better assist project sponsors with the guidance and technical assistance necessary to complete highway toll concession arrangements. The topic of P3s is certain to receive further attention in the weeks ahead as the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure is slated to release a bipartisan report on the topic which will inform their work on accelerating private sector investment in infrastructure.
Tags: financing, infrastructure, Obama Administration, transportation
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Summer Travel Boom as Americans Hit the Road
September 5th, 2014 | By: America's Infrastructure Report Card
After being cooped up inside for what was in some parts of the country the coldest and snowiest winter on record, it appears based upon latest data from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) that Americans traveled on our roadways in force this spring and early summer. Vehicle miles traveled (VMT), a common measure of roadway use, hit its highest level in six years between July 2013 and June 2014. The first half of 2014 saw the fourth-highest mileage number ever since the FHWA first began collecting VMT information nearly eight decades ago. While dipping VMT has had its benefits for transit ridership and environmental air quality, the uptick is particularly good news for the ailing federal Highway Trust Fund (HTF), which provides state and local governments with money for transportation. A decrease in VMT during the end of 2007 following the Great Recession came at a time when highway and transit spending was exceeding revenues in the HTF. Since 2010, as the economy has improved, VMT has been slowly inching upward. However, this latest FHWA data suggests that VMT and the gasoline taxes that are collected remains a viable way to generate user fees for the HTF to dedicate towards transportation improvements. The real problem appears to be the annual decrease in purchasing power of user fees as a result of Congress’ inability to raise rates in order to maintain necessary federal investments in infrastructure. Congress should be encouraged by this latest report on the health of American mobility and use it as an opportunity to #FixTheTrustFund.Tags: gas tax, highway trust fund, transportation, VMT
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Statement on the Congressional Passage of the 10 Month Patch to the Highway Trust Fund
August 1st, 2014 | By: America's Infrastructure Report Card
Washington, D.C. —The following is a statement from Randall (Randy) Over, P.E., President of The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) on the passage of short-term funding to the federal Highway Trust Fund.: “We thank Congress for passing the short-term patch to the Highway Trust Fund. This legislation will protect thousands of jobs and avert an economic calamity for a few more months. While this legislation is certainly better than nothing, all it actually does is reset the countdown clock for May 2015. “ASCE urges Congress to return from the August recess ready to find real solutions to fix the Highway Trust Fund. There is adequate time before Congress adjourns in 2014 to identify long-term, sustainable funding sources for the nation’s surface transportation program. We shouldn’t wait until May 2015 to solve America’s infrastructure problems.”Founded in 1852, the American Society of Civil Engineers represents more than 145,000 civil engineers worldwide and is America’s oldest national engineering society. For more information, visit www.asce.org.
Tags: congress, highway trust fund, transportation
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ASCE Statement on the Senate Passage of H.R. 5021 to Sustain the Highway Trust Fund until December
July 29th, 2014 | By: America's Infrastructure Report Card
Washington, D.C. —The following is a statement from Randall (Randy) Over, P.E., President of The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) on the passage of H.R. 5021 in the U.S. Senate: “This evening, the United States Senate assured that road, bridge, and transit projects, along with countless American jobs, will be preserved until at least December 2014. We also congratulate the bipartisan majority of Senators who helped pass the Carper-Corker-Boxer amendment. This amendment will help our economy and put us on a path to actually fixing the Highway Trust Fund this year. “The Senate made a number of smart choices today. By rejecting Senator Lee’s ‘devolution’ amendment, a bipartisan Senate strongly reaffirmed the federal government’s role in America’s transportation future. We know that we cannot build a modern infrastructure system capable of meeting the demands of a 21st century economy without a national vision, and we are pleased to see so many Senators feel the same. “It is now up to the House to act and immediately pass the Senate bill. For some time now, the American Society of Civil Engineers has been urging Congress to #FixTheTrustFund. Through social media, blogs, videos, press interviews, and even a website—www.fixthetrustfund.org—the key word the entire time has been ‘fix.’ Today, the Senate decided that they want to fix the Trust Fund in 2014. “Americans are tired of seeing Congress hem and haw when it comes to making tough choices. Our nation’s infrastructure deficit is not going away until our leaders find the courage to address America’s changing needs. Infrastructure is the backbone of our national economy, and by moving from stop-gap to stop-gap, Congress is only injecting greater uncertainty into an already fragile economic recovery. The time to fix the Highway Trust Fund is now. “Congress and the White House, Republicans and Democrats, all must come together to find a real solution to the Highway Trust Fund over the next five months. If we truly want to fix the Trust Fund, we need vision and leadership that is capable of looking beyond partisan divides and instead look for answers for renewed investment in America’s future.”Founded in 1852, the American Society of Civil Engineers represents more than 145,000 civil engineers worldwide and is America’s oldest national engineering society. For more information, visit www.asce.org
Tags: congress, highway trust fund, house of representatives, senate, transportation
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Is Our Infrastructure Making the Grade? We Know the Answer
July 22nd, 2014 | By: America's Infrastructure Report Card
A few weeks ago, a new report from CG/LA Infrastructure and Autodesk offered a six-point plan to address the dismal D+ grade from our 2013 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure. As Rep. John Delaney (D-MD) put it, “there are real economic costs associated with our infrastructure gridlock. This is a domestic emergency.” Throughout the new report, we see many parallels between the six recommendations and both the Vision and Key Solutions offered in our Report Card: leadership at all levels of government, promoting sustainability and resilience, and making sure that we have comprehensive plans in place to make the best decisions on how to spend our limited dollars. Perhaps the most critical point between the two reports is that we need to view all of the recommendations through the lens of an interconnected infrastructure system. It’s not about choosing a sector to prioritize first – whether that be roads, water, or our energy grid. Unfortunately, our maze of agencies and jurisdictions that deal with infrastructure policy are most often set up that way. In order to keep the momentum going to raise the grades, we are going to have to embrace a holistic method of infrastructure planning that recognizes that the system is only as good as its weakest link. Our water treatment plans rely on vast quantities of energy. Our ports rely on reliable roads and railroad connections to move goods off the docks to your local store. We know that long-term planning, leadership, and innovation are the answers. We have examples of cities and states that are tackling ambitious projects across our infrastructure modes, but we need more of this type of leadership. Only then will we have an infrastructure system ready to support a growing 21st-century economy.ASCE Statement on the House Plan to Maintain the Highway Trust Fund for Only 9 More Months
July 15th, 2014 | By: America's Infrastructure Report Card
Washington, D.C. —The following is a statement from Patrick Natale, P.E., Executive Director of The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) on the passage of H.R. 5021 in the U.S. House of Representatives: “Today, the U.S. House of Representatives averted an immediate economic disaster by addressing the impending insolvency of the Highway Trust Fund. Regrettably, their efforts also created a new, looming disaster next May. Punting on America’s infrastructure deficit will not fix the problem, and in fact will only create greater economic uncertainty. Congress needs to get serious about America’s future rather than creating more unnecessary turmoil. “America’s businesses, laborers, engineers, and manufacturers have been urging Congress for well over a year to find a long-term, sustainable solution to our country’s surface transportation issues. States and cities cannot plan for the future if funding is only going to be approved on a crisis by crisis basis. Imagine the challenges of building your home if you were unaware of where your money was coming from or when you could use it—that is the current case for America’s infrastructure. “The band-aid put on the Highway Trust Fund today ensures that we must limp along rather than take proactive steps to create a solid economic foundation. By maintaining current funding, we are solidifying funding levels that have given the U.S. an infrastructure grade of D+ in ASCE’s Report Card for America’s Infrastructure. Does Congress not think America deserves better than a barely passing grade? “This moment is the best opportunity in a generation to solve America’s infrastructure deficit. Now is the time for a renewed investment in our nation’s infrastructure. We need bipartisan leadership from Congress and the White House to pass a long-term, reliable funding solution that will give states and cities the ability to plan for the future.”###
Founded in 1852, the American Society of Civil Engineers represents more than 145,000 civil engineers worldwide and is America’s oldest national engineering society. For more information, visit www.asce.org.
Tags: ASCE, bridges, congress, highway trust fund, roads, surface transportation, transportation
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New Congressional Proposal Offers Gas Tax Increase Tied to Inflation
June 18th, 2014 | By: America's Infrastructure Report Card
We saw some encouraging movement from the Hill today on transportation. Senators Bob Corker (R-TN) and Chris Murphy (D-CT) are floating a plan to increase the gas tax twice by increments of six cents, and then index the gas tax to inflation so it’s a sustainable revenue source. Here’s a statement from ASCE President Randall Over, P.E. : “The proposal issued today by Sens. Murphy and Corker to increase the federal gas tax as a way to provide needed long-term funding for the Highway Trust Fund is an encouraging step to improve our economy and raise the grades on the nation’s surface transportation infrastructure. “With the Highway Trust Fund expected to become insolvent in a matter of months, now is the time for action. The nation’s surface transportation challenges are too vast and the costs are too great for us to continue with the status-quo. “We applaud the bold leadership exhibited by Sens. Murphy and Corker for offering a meaningful proposal to help solve this problem, and look forward to working with them as this plan moves through the Senate.” To learn how you can get involved to fix the Highway Trust Fund visit ASCE’s new website FixtheTrustFund.org.Tags: #fixthetrustfund, Corker, gas tax, Murphy, statement, transportation
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