SAFETEA-LU expired on September 30, 2009. The highway and transit programs have been operating under short term extensions ever since. While the current extension expires on June 30, 2012, there has been significant progress made to reauthorize our federal highway and transit programs. On March 14, 2012, the Senate passed their AGC supported, two year, $109 billion surface transportation reauthorization bill, S. 1813, the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) by a strong bipartisan vote of 74-22. Funding levels and key provisions of MAP-21 can be found here. With the House failing to garner enough support for their AGC supported 5 year reauthorization bill, H.R. 7, the American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act, they passed a bill (H.R. 4348) that further extended the federal highway and transit program and included key provisions from H.R. 7. H.R. 4348 served as the legislative vehicle that got the House and Senate into an official Conference Committee.

The House/Senate Conference Committee has the task of resolving differences between the two bodies and negotiating a final reauthorization bill. Although there is no deadline for the committee the produce a final product , AGC is urging all members of the Conference Committee - known as Conferees - to conclude their negotiations and get a bill signed into law prior to the expiration of the most recent extension of federal highway and transit programs, June 30, 2012. AGC and our members were successful in getting the House and Senate to this point but know is not the time to rest we must continue to press Members of Congress to support a transportation reauthorization bill that will provide a level of certainty to our industry that we are lacking due to the short term extensions the federal programs are currently operating under.

State budgets have been cut significantly and the lack of action on highway and transit program authorization and funding has created huge uncertainty, forcing states to be cautious in the number of highway contracts that they are able to put out for bid. This uncertainty not only affects state highway programs; the contractors, designers, subcontractors and material suppliers who work within these programs are also affected.

AGC of America needs your help to ensure Congress understands that solving our highway and transit funding challenges is essential to our long-term economic growth and prosperity. You can help by contacting your congressional delegation, writing to the local media and spreading the word with your friends, family and industry partners.

Write to Your Elected Officials!

• Use customizable template letters that can be sent to elected officials urging support and passage of a new highway and transit bill.

Meet With Your Elected Officials!

• Use customizable sample request letter and sample talking points to help guide your comments during that meeting. Attend town hall meetings and use the sample talking points to raise during the meeting.

Contact Your Local Media!

• Template Op/Eds can be edited to best suit your needs and be sent to your local paper for consideration as an Op/Ed. Meeting with your local paper's editorial board can be more effective. Request a meeting with your local newspaper's editorial board. Radio can also be an effective way to communicate your concerns. Call your local radio station to see if they'd be willing to interview you or consider placing an ad.

Spread the Word!

• The more public support we have, the greater our chances of making real investment in our nation's transportation infrastructure. Use the suggestions for organizing and holding a news conference to push for Congressional support of a new highway and transit bill. Use social media networks to help get the word out about our country's surface transportation needs.

Additional Resources:

• Visit the new Web site www.FasterBetterSafer.org - special website designed to provide a range of information about the need for a new surface transportation bill, the impacts of having no bill, and the current state of local road and transit conditions.
• Use template print and electronic advertisements to highlight local road and transit problems (traffic, aging roads, unsafe bridges, poor transit service) and encourage viewers of the ad to take action.
• Use state-by-state data on congestion costs and infrastructure needs.
• Use congestion costs for major metropolitan areas in your talking points.

AGC Surface Transportation Reauthorization Priorities

Further investment in transportation infrastructure will help the nation achieve economic growth and job creation while restoring America’s exceptional promise. It is imperative that our country invest in our infrastructure to grow the economy. Elimination of unnecessary programs and requirements should be a key component of reauthorization. However, this alone will not provide the resources needed to support a targeted, cohesive national transportation policy. AGC’s priorities for surface transportation reauthorization include:

• AGC Transportation Reauthorization Letter to Conferees
• Establish a Clear, Achievable National Goal
• Multi-Year Authorization
• Performance Standards
• Supplementing Current Revenues/Innovative Financing
• Freight Movement
• User Fee Financing
• Project Delivery and Streamlining
• Reform Transportation Program
• Clean Construction
• Work Zone Safety

View all Highway & Transportation news

Reauthorization Resources

• Future Needs of the US Surface Transportation System
• Surface Transportation Policy Recommendations
• Revenue Resources to Fund Transportation Needs
• America's Freight Challenge
• Accelerating Project Delivery
• A New Vision for the 21st Century
• Transportation Governance and Finance: A Fifty State Review
• Funding and Financing Solutions for Surface transportation in the Coming Decade
• Report on Trials to Implement Vehicle Miles Traveled Fees

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