Tag: funding: Page 6

Roadbuilding

Lawmaker looks to crude oil tax, indexed diesel tax for Highway Trust Fund solution; Plan would remove gas tax

As the Highway Trust Fund’s insolvency looms, Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) has introduced a highway funding plan that would repeal the federal gas tax in favor of other funding options, like taxing oil barrels and indexing the diesel tax to inflation and fleet fuel economy. DeFazio’s Repeal and Rebuild Act is designed to be a […]

June 17, 2014

Roadbuilding

HTF update: DOT holds firm on August shortfall projection

The Highway Trust Fund (HTF) continues to head for a shortfall at the end of August, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) projected Tuesday. In the latest Highway Trust Fund Ticker update, the DOT noted that it anticipates a shortfall around Aug. 30. The Ticker, introduced in January, is updated every month with details about […]

June 17, 2014

Roadbuilding

Survey says 59% of Americans worry road surfaces create unsafe conditions

The majority of Americans are concerned about unsafe road conditions as a result of poor road surfaces, according to the results of a survey released Thursday by Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA). Survey results show that 59 percent of respondents worry that poor road surfaces create unsafe conditions, and 27 percent say they […]

June 13, 2014

Roadbuilding

HTF 101: How the Highway Trust Fund works

The Highway Trust Fund (HTF) is a major talking point in the highway construction industry right now, especially because the major funding source is likely to run out of money in less than three months. HTF insolvency would mean projects across the nation would not be able to begin and 700,000 workers would lose their […]

June 12, 2014

Roadbuilding

Transportation advocates push for highway funding this week

Transportation advocates are flying to Washington, D.C. from all over the country to meet with lawmakers and discuss highway funding at the Transportation Construction Coalition’s (TCC) 2014 Legislative Fly-In on Tuesday and Wednesday. This year’s theme, “The Time is Now: Fix the Highway Trust Fund,” urges legislators to find a solution before the Highway Trust Fund […]

June 9, 2014

Roadbuilding

Connecticut officials scale back I-84 expansion due to lack of funds

Interstate 84 that runs through a portion of Connecticut was set for a 30-mile expansion project that would widen all of the highway from the New York state line to the city of Waterbury, but a lack of necessary funds has forced state officials to significantly reduce the project, StamfordAdvocate.com reports. The $4 billion-plus project […]

June 6, 2014

Roadbuilding

Opinion: Sinkholes and bridge closures, and how they relate to the highway fund shortage

Two news stories in particular have me thinking of what our nation will look like without a Highway Trust Fund fix. The first is a bridge closure in Delaware. According to an Associated Press report, officials closed a bridge near Wilmington because the support pillars are tilting by as much as 2.4 degrees. Engineers feared […]

June 6, 2014

Roadbuilding

Senate Appropriations panel approves $54.4 billion THUD bill; Legislation moves to full committee for markup

The Senate Appropriations Committee’s Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee approved its Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development (THUD) bill on Tuesday, Politico reports. The bill provides $54.4 billion in discretionary funds for fiscal year 2015 and includes federal grants for highway and transit programs. “This bipartisan bill was written with input […]

June 4, 2014

Roadbuilding

Oklahoma Legislature cuts transportation budget by $28.5 million

The Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) will experience $28.5 million in cuts in its fiscal year 2015 budget, Tulsa World reports. The cuts amount to a 5.5-percent reduction — a loss of about $11 million in revenue from gas taxes. The total budget for 2015, which begins July 1, will be $1.8 billion. ODOT Executive […]

June 4, 2014

Roadbuilding

Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin signs $685.7 million transportation bill

Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin on Monday signed a $685.7 million transportation bill for fiscal year 2015, marking the largest transportation infrastructure investment in the state’s history. The legislation approves infrastructure improvements and maintenance, supports a multimodal transportation system and focuses on economic development, safety, infrastructure preservation and maintenance, energy efficient transportation choices and the continued […]

June 3, 2014

Roadbuilding

House GOP leaders move forward with USPS savings plan for highway funding; Senate EPW, postal union criticize plan

House Republican leaders are moving forward with a plan to fund the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) with savings from cutting certain U.S. Postal Service programs. House GOP leaders released a memo on Friday outlining the plan, which includes changes such as ceasing Saturday operations, which Republicans say will save $10.7 billion over a decade, Politico […]

June 2, 2014

Roadbuilding

Oregon DOT seeks account managers for pilot user fee program

The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) is seeking vendors to run its Road Usage Charge program, AASHTO Journal reports. The voluntary pilot program, which uses a per-mile charge instead of the gas tax, is slated to begin July 1, 2015. The Oregon House and Senate in July 2013 passed a bill that allows the state […]

May 29, 2014