Top US industry figure welcomes movement on highway bill

A senior US construction association figure has praised congressional leaders for breaking the “logjam” over the introduction of a highway bill to generate jobs and improve transport infrastructure.
March 19, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
A senior US construction association figure has praised congressional leaders for breaking the “logjam” over the introduction of a highway bill to generate jobs and improve transport infrastructure. Speaking earlier this week Pete Ruane, president and chief executive of the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA), said: “The surface transportation reauthorization process has been gridlocked on Capitol Hill for 28 months. With action in several House committees this week on a multi-year bill, the logjam is beginning to break free. “We commend the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee and other congressional leaders for their commitment to move the legislation forward.” In late 2007, ARTBA released a 72-page report containing the transportation construction industry’s legislative recommendations for the next reauthorisation bill. It called for an increase in infrastructure investment to meet the needs identified by the U.S. Department of Transportation. It also outlined a series of reforms to improve the efficiency of the transportation planning process. “The House bill would put many of these meaningful reforms into place,” added Mr Ruane. “Its proposals to consolidate or eliminate duplicate programmes, reduce bureaucratic red tape to help speed the delivery of transportation improvements, expand the use of innovative finance and public-private partnerships, and eliminate earmarks will help to restore the public’s trust in the value of federal transportation investment." Mr Ruane said the proposed measures would still authourise less for the core federal highway and transit programmes than Congress approved for the financial year 2011. And he urged members of the House and Senate to explore ways to boost transport industry investment levels during the legislative process leading to the creation of the highway bill. He continued: “It is essential that the House advance its multi-year bill. After more than two years of can-kicking, it’s time to get the job done.”

Related Content

  • AEM proposes highway funding solutions
    February 15, 2012
    The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) is offering a novel solution to funding sources for the US Highway Bill.
    Read More
  • New US toll road regulation criticised
    April 10, 2012
    High road toll increases bring threat of new regulation in US - *Bob Poole reports. Large toll rate increases have been implemented recently by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, justified in part to help pay for its World Trade Center project. In response, a bill was introduced in Congress that would allow the Secretary of Transportation to regulate tolls on every bridge on the country's Interstates and other federally aided highways.
    Read More
  • ARTBA predicts US construction infrastructure growth
    December 3, 2012
    The American Road and Transportation Builders Association’s (ARTBA) annual forecast suggests that the US transportation construction infrastructure market will show modest growth in 2013. According to ARTBA’s forecast, this segment will increase 3% to US$130.5 billion in 2013. The association’s chief economist, Dr Alison Premo Black, said that growth is expected in highway and street pavements, private work for driveways and parking lots and also airport terminal and runway work. But ARTBA predicts the brid
    Read More
  • Trump loses key infrastructure adviser DJ Gribbin
    April 5, 2018
    The key infrastructure policy adviser to US president Donald Trump has resigned, according to US media reports. DJ Gribbin is "moving on" to pursue unspecified opportunities, a White House official told the Washington Examiner newspaper. Gribbin joined the White House staff in February 2017 to advise Trump on how he could fulfil his election promise to boost infrastructure spending with around US$200 billion. Gribbin previously worked as chief counsel for the Federal Highway Administration and general
    Read More

Highlighted Content