Tag: HTF: Page 12

Roadbuilding

USDOT sees TIGER funding requests hit $14.5 billion with only $500 million available

The Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) program has seen $14.5 billion in requests since Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx announced the opening for competitive grants back in April. Problem is, only $500 million is available by the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) for this round, which means requests were 29 times that amount. This clearly shows […]

June 5, 2015

Roadbuilding

Transportation reauthorization bill amendment would give states flexibility in funding bridge projects

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-New York) has put forth an amendment to a transportation reauthorization bill currently before the Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works that would make “local bridge projects eligible for federal funding through the National Highway Performance Program.” Gillibrand’s amendment would not create additional funds, but would instead “redirect existing dollars to restore […]

June 4, 2015

Roadbuilding

Obama threatens to veto $55 billion Republican transportation bill

Transportation funding remains in limbo after a recent patch, and President Barack Obama is threatening to veto a $55 billion bill because it isn’t enough of an increase over current funding levels. According to The Hill, the White House said the president would veto the Republican bill if it made it to his desk. The […]

June 3, 2015

Roadbuilding

Poll: Infrastructure a mixed priority for likely Iowa Caucus attendees

Infrastructure spending has been a hotly debated topic as of late, but it still isn’t as high a priority as one might think amongst likely Iowa Caucus attendees. And even more perplexing, the issue is divided in priority between those who identify as Republicans and Democrats. In a recent Des Moines Register/Bloomberg Politics Iowa Poll, […]

June 3, 2015

Roadbuilding

DC’s Arlington Memorial Bridge needs millions to return to peak condition

Emergency repairs on Arlington Memorial Bridge are costing $3 million, but that’s nothing compared to what it would cost to restore the bridge back its glory days. The Washington, D.C., bridge is so plagued with rust and broken concrete among other problems that it would cost upwards of $250 million to permanently fix, CBS Washington […]

June 3, 2015

Roadbuilding

CBO estimates $85-$90 billion Highway Trust Fund shortfall by 2021

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO), at the request of Rep. Sandy Levin (D-Michigan), has projected estimated revenue shortfalls for the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) for two short-tem extensions and one long-term extension, finding the fund will be short by $85-$90 billion in just six years. Levin, a member of the House Ways and Means committee, had […]

June 2, 2015

Roadbuilding

Obama signs 2-month extension for highway funding, calls for end of patches

President Barack Obama signed a two-month extension of the Highway Trust Fund into law May 29. According to a report from The Hill, Obama signed the bill to extend the funding, but the administration took time to call for an end to the constant patches for infrastructure funding. Press secretary Josh Ernest said the White House […]

June 1, 2015

Roadbuilding

Study finds more than 21% of Indiana’s bridges are deficient

A study has found that 21.5 percent of Indiana’s bridges are considered deficient. ABC 6 in Indianapolis reported in addition to 4,103 of the state’s bridges being deficient, 11.5 percent were considered functionally obsolete. Ten percent are structurally deficient. The state’s General Assembly sent $200 million to for transportation construction in the budget, but money from […]

June 1, 2015

Roadbuilding

Top FHWA official says unfinished Spokane project proves need for long-term highway bill

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s acting administrator toured the incomplete North Spokane Corridor last week and said the half-built project shows why the federal government needs to act on long-term transportation funding. After touring the NSC, Gergory Nadeau said the project “exemplifies exactly what has been happening all over the country.” About half of the […]

May 28, 2015

Roadbuilding

Bill would support Highway Trust Fund by adjusting Obamacare Medicaid match rates

A bill filed by Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-Arkansas), would apply an estimated $15 billion each year to the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) by adjusting the percentage of Medicaid match funds required by the Affordable Care Act. The Prioritizing American Roads and Jobs Act of 2015 bill would apply half the “savings” to the HTF, with the other […]

May 27, 2015

Roadbuilding

Senate passes transportation funding patch

Over the weekend, the Senate passed a patch to extend transportation funding through July. In a Saturday voice vote just before the Senate broke for the Memorial Day holiday, Senators approved the patch to extend the Highway Trust Fund for two months, according to a report from The Hill. The Senate vote follows the passage of […]

May 26, 2015

Roadbuilding

Grass tax instead of gas tax for road funding? Michigan lawmaker calls to legalize “pot for potholes”

A lawmaker in Michigan thinks that marijuana could provide some relief for the state’s ailing roads. Rep. Brandon Dillon (D-Grand Rapids) wrote in an op-ed on MLive.com that Michigan voters have been adamant about not going deeper into their own pockets for funding on some issues—voters shot down a proposal to raise taxes for transportation […]

May 25, 2015