US highway bill

After long delays the US Government has finally signed its highway reauthorisation bill. “This is a good, bipartisan bill that will create jobs, strengthen our transportation system and grow our economy,” said US transportation secretary Ray LaHood. “It builds on our safety efforts. The bill also provides states and communities with two years of steady funding to build the roads, bridges and transit systems they need.” Funds for transportation projects will come from the Highway Trust Fund as well as genera
August 13, 2012 Read time: 2 mins

After long delays the US Government has finally signed its highway reauthorisation bill. “This is a good, bipartisan bill that will create jobs, strengthen our transportation system and grow our economy,” said US transportation secretary Ray LaHood. “It builds on our safety efforts. The bill also provides states and communities with two years of steady funding to build the roads, bridges and transit systems they need.”

Funds for transportation projects will come from the Highway Trust Fund as well as general taxation. The highway bill gives states more leeway on how to use the federal highway funds as they can opt out from using the money on non-road items and focus on highway projects. But the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) has been sparing with its praise for the bill. ARTBA president and CEO Pete Ruane said “In the short term, the bill will provide stability in federal funding for state and local transportation projects.

The elimination of earmarks should also accelerate the speed at which federal funds impact the market for transportation improvements. That’s the good news. The bad news is there is no new money. And even with their federal funds, we are now in a situation where 28 states have invested less in highway and bridge projects over the past 12 months than they did in pre-recession 2008, even when adjusted for inflation. We view this bill—as we believe congressional leaders do—as just ‘Step One,’ which is making the significant program and policy reforms needed to restore public confidence in how the federal government is investing their money in transportation and mobility. ‘Step Two’ is coming to grips with how to fund the nation’s investments in transportation infrastructure and mobility over the longer term. That tough job remains.”

Related Content

  • Changes to bridge project reviews in US will speed repairs
    December 13, 2012
    According to the American Road and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA), changes in the way the US Government reviews bridge projects could speed repairs. ARTBA has long-advocated this change, which could save US taxpayers an estimated US$78 million and reduce wait times for repair projects on more than 196,000 bridges in the country. The decision by the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) will allow the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to streamline the historic preservation proces
    Read More
  • Call for new ways of funding road infrastructure
    February 16, 2012
    In the first of a two-part article, Jack Opiola, a prominent global expert on transport policy and a leading member of IRF Geneva's Policy Committee on ITS, introduces the urgent need to develop new, more equitable revenue mechanisms to replace fuel taxes as a means of funding and maintaining road infrastructure
    Read More
  • Democratisation of technology: an interview with Ivan Di Federico
    June 20, 2025
    A very different global future is emerging where a successful business must have a large amount of the right data and access to the best technology. But for long-term success a business must create value for its customers, says Ivan Di Federico, formerly chief strategy officer and now president and chief executive officer of Topcon Positioning Systems. He talks to Anthony Oliver, host of the Infrastructure podcast.
    Read More
  • ITS America applauds MAP-21
    April 26, 2012
    ITS America president and CEO Scott Belcher issued a statement yesterday in response to the release of the text of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee’s surface transportation reauthorization bill, MAP-21. Similar to the Smart Technologies for Communities Act (H.R. 995), introduced in the House by ITS Caucus co-chairs Mike Rogers (R-MI) and Russ Carnahan (D-MO), the initiative would provide new levels of accountability by requiring grant recipients to measure and improve the performance
    Read More

Highlighted Content