AASHTO Journal, 9 November 2011
The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, in a unanimous 18-0 vote this morning, approved a two-year reauthorization of federal highway programs at current funding levels. The bill now moves to the Senate floor calendar, where it will wait for three other committees to approve funding, transit, and safety components that will eventually be merged into one piece of legislation.
John Horsley, executive director of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, commended the committee for supporting the principle that existing levels of highway investment should be preserved.
“We particularly appreciate the unanimous, bipartisan vote to move the bill forward,” Horsley said. “We agree with the objectives outlined in the MAP-21 legislation to help ensure accountability and stewardship of federal surface transportation investments, improve the efficiency of the regulatory review process for transportation improvements, and leverage private-sector resources through an expanded TIFIA program.”
View the full story at www.aashtojournal.org/Pages/110911reauthorization.aspx.