Transportation

Surface Transportation Reauthorization

Issue
A key priority for Congress in 2009 is the reauthorization of the highway, transit and safety programs under the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (“SAFETEA-LU”), which expires on September 30, 2009. The new authorization bill will set funding levels and programmatic priorities for the next six years. Timely adoption of the new program is essential to restoring and revitalizing our economy and our transportation infrastructure.

ACEC strongly supported the $37.4 billion for highways and transit in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, but much more needs to be done to address the serious backlog of transportation improvement projects. Implementing a stable and growing financing mechanism for the new program is a key priority for the engineering industry. Current budget forecasts project a 50 percent cut in the highway program in FY 2010 without new revenues into the Highway Trust Fund. This funding shortfall will only exacerbate persistent problems of congested roads, deficient bridges and overburdened transit systems.

Two separate blue ribbon commissions created by Congress to investigate funding needs reached substantially similar conclusions. Both panels of experts highlighted a significant gap between current revenues and what is necessary to maintain and improve our surface transportation systems, and identified a broad menu of financing options for Congress to consider.

Transportation investment creates short and long term economic growth. Every $1 billion in spending on infrastructure supports over 34,000 jobs. Each dollar invested in highway construction generates $1.80 of GDP in the short term. Improving our highway and transit systems will promote long-term economic growth by facilitating the efficient movement of people and goods throughout the country.

ACEC Position
ACEC urges Congress to pass a timely authorization bill with robust funding increases and mechanisms to ensure adequate and stable funding sources for meeting transportation improvement needs, including increasing and indexing the fuel tax and a greater utilization of private sources of capital. The new surface transportation program will provide certainty to transportation planners and facilitate the investments necessary to meet our surface transportation needs.

ACEC also urges Congress to protect and strengthen procurement of private sector design, engineering and construction services, and oppose efforts to restrict the flexibility of states to contract out. The engineering community plays an essential role in helping states to deliver critical transportation services to the public. Private sector firms bring the innovation, expertise, ontime delivery and long-term cost savings necessary to ensure that taxpayer dollars are well invested.