NAPA president urges Congress to “move quickly” with transportation funding plan

(Photo: Adam Fagen / Flickr)(Photo: Adam Fagen / Flickr)

National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) President Mike Acott released a statement yesterday regarding the House and Senate failing to pass any transportation funding bills last week.

Acott stated:

“The leaders of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee have done their jobs in crafting bipartisan bills that address the coming year’s funding needs, but despite days of debate, lawmakers were unable to move forward with the appropriation process before their August recess.

“When they return, Congress must move quickly to put in place a funding plan for FY2014 so that work can begin to address the long-term problem of sustainable funding for the Highway Trust Fund.

“The passage of MAP-21 last year was a move in the right direction, but the current funding sources do not provide sufficient funds to build and maintain the infrastructure our nation needs. According to the Congressional Budget Office, unless new funding is established for the Highway Trust Fund, there will be zero dollars available to the states for new projects in FY2015. We cannot afford to delay the repairs, maintenance, and upgrades that our nation’s highways so desperately need.”

NAPA has encouraged road builders to contact lawmakers during the congressional recess and schedule in-district meetings and tours of plants and job sites to give the legislators a first-hand look at the benefits and importance of transportation investment.

NAPA’s Asphalt Fly-In will also provide a platform for transportation funding talks. The event will be held September 11-12 in Washington, D.C., where House Transportation & Infrastructure Chairman Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) will speak about transportation funding. The Asphalt Fly-In will also include discussions about how to lobby, industry regulatory issues, and ongoing legislative initiatives.

Additionally, recently-released apps “I’m Stuck” and “TransCon” provide quick and easy ways to alert lawmakers about the need for transportation funding.