Pavement Preservation Journal, Fall 2015
Tracy D. Taylor
Key to successful pavement preservation programs and sound transportation policy is the assurance of predictable, adequate, long-term funding for surface transportation.
The good news for the industry is that Congress and the administration seem to finally realize this, and have spent significant time and energy this year trying to secure agreement for a long-term highway funding bill.
On the down side, there is a general unwillingness in Congress to impose additional highway user fees, thus providing new funds to “pay for” the shortfall between what the gas tax user fee currently contributes to the Highway Trust Fund, and the amount needed to fund the highway reauthorization bill at slightly increased levels. This remains a sticking point to passage of a long-term bill.
As this article is written, in the waning days of July, the U.S. Senate achieved a major victory by passing the Developing Roadway infrastructure for a Vibrant Economy Act [DRIVE], which provides six years of program authorization, and three years of funding at slightly increased levels. Senate Environment & Public Works Committee Chairman James Inhofe (R-Okla.), and Minority Ranking Member Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) have long believed that getting a bill out of their committee – and onto the Senate floor prior to the August congressional recess – creates the kind of momentum needed to pass a long-term highway reauthorization bill this year.