On May 14, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) released the final hours of service rule in order to improve the safety of the nation’s roads and increase flexibility for truck drivers. The final rule makes changes to four provisions: the short-haul exemption; adverse driving conditions; the 30-minute break; and split-sleeper berth. The final rule does not increase driving time. Last year, AGC submitted comments to FMCSA in support of the notice of proposed rulemaking.
AGC and its Transportation Construction Coalition partners organized a bipartisan effort led by Reps. Conor Lamb (D-Penn.) and Bob Gibbs (R-Ohio) calling on the leadership of the House of Representatives to include an immediate $49.95 billion federal fund infusion for state departments of transportation (DOT) to move planned projects forward. Projections are showing decreases in state motor fuel tax and toll receipts as vehicle traffic declines by 50 percent in most parts of the country due to work and travel restrictions. Some state DOTs could experience losses as high as 45 percent, leading to significant project letting delays and cancellations, threatening construction jobs. AGC and its chapters are making a concerted effort to bring as many members of the House together in making this request a priority included in the next COVID-19 relief bill. Contact your U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators to tell them to support this critical funding for the transportation construction industry in the next COVID-19 relief bill.
Coronavirus-caused Slowdown Contrasts with January Figures Showing a Majority of Metro Areas Added Construction Jobs; Officials Note New Infrastructure Funding and Paid Family Leave Fixes are Needed
On Feb. 26, the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure passed H.R. 5912, the Expedited Delivery of Airport Infrastructure Act of 2020. This AGC-supported legislation would ensure that Airport Improvement Program (AIP) funds can be used to provide incentive payments to contractors for early completion of eligible projects. Early completion incentives allow owners to identify projects that provide significant public benefits that would be enhanced if the project were completed earlier. Rather than the owner agency establishing unrealistic completion dates, which could discourage some contractors from bidding on those projects, incentive payments allow contractors to determine how best to earn the incentive. AGC applauds the committee for passage of this measure and will continue to support its movement through the legislative process.
On Feb. 19, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao announced the award of $520 million in airport infrastructure grants to 287 airports as part of the Airport Improvement Program (AIP). The AIP grant program awards billions of dollars each year for the planning and development of public-use airports across the country. As part of the AGC-supported fiscal year 2020 funding bill, the program received $3.75 billion in federal funding, $400M more than is authorized by the FAA Reauthorization Act. AGC applauds the Secretary’s announcement and will continue to support investment in our nation’s airport infrastructure.
On Feb. 7, the House is expected to pass AGC-supported legislation providing billions in funding to Puerto Rico for disaster relief and recovery efforts. This bill, spurred by the recent earthquake, will help restore, improve, and build critical infrastructure on the island. In addition, the measure will provide $1.25 billion for the Federal Highway Administration’s Emergency Relief Program—funding that will repair roads and bridges not only in Puerto Rico, but also in states across the country that have been damaged by recent natural disasters and other catastrophic events.
House Democrat Infrastructure Framework:
AGC of America’s Business Development Forum, with support from The Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS), will offer free one-on-one Business Development (BD) “Check-Ups” to AGC Convention attendees to review and offer guidance on their BD and marketing related efforts. Subject matter experts from across the nation will be paired with attendees to answer questions and challenges relating to BD planning, sales, proposals, client presentations, branding, brochures, websites, social media, and more. The Free Business Development and Marketing Check-Up booths will be open Tuesday and Wednesday March 10 & 11 from 9:30-11:30 am PST. To learn more and sign up ahead of time please contact paige.packard@agc.org.
The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) is seeking information to help it develop a National Freight Strategic Plan (NFSP) to address the needs of multimodal freight transportation. According to the Department, freight tonnage will increase by 44 percent between 2015 and 2045, placing increased strain on a system that moves approximately 18 billion tons of freight annually across the country via all modes of transportation. USDOT is also seeking information to help shape its ROUTES (Rural Opportunities to Use Transportation for Economic Success) initiative, as 46 percent of the nation’s highway fatalities occur on rural roads and where nearly half of all truck vehicle miles traveled occur. AGC intends to submit comments on both proposals.