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May 23, 2019
The abrupt ending May 22 to an infrastructure meeting between the White House and Congressional Democrats means there probably won't be any new revenues for the surface transportation reauthorization that Congress must pass by next fall, Congressman Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) told Politico.
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March 14, 2019
The House Subcommittee on Highways and Transit on March 13 held its first hearing focused on reauthorization of the Highway Trust Fund. The FAST Act, which provided $281 billion for federal surface transportation programs, expires on September 30, 2020.
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February 6, 2019
President Donald Trump renewed his call for a major infrastructure investment during his State of the Union address on Jan. 5, but offered no details on his plans as he urged Republicans and Democrats to work together to pass legislation to rebuild and revitalize the nation’s crumbling infrastructure.
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January 8, 2019
The partial federal government shutdown, now in its third week, has started to impact state departments of transportation (DOTs) and is delaying the start of new projects.
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November 30, 2018
The House Republican conference on Nov. 30 unanimously voted to elect Rep. Sam Graves to be ranking member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in the 116th Congress. Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) will serve as Chairman.
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November 7, 2018
Congressman Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.), who is set to become Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in the 116th Congress, said Nov. 6 that a major infrastructure package funded by real dollars would be his first order of business in January. Current surface transportation law is set to expire in 2020 and infrastructure is largely viewed as one issue where bipartisan agreement will be possible next year. Of importance to truckstops and travel plazas, Rep. DeFazio spoke about the shortcomings of the $1.5 trillion infrastructure plan put forth by the Administration in early 2018, saying it was full of “pretend stuff” such as privatization and asset recycling, which could very easily lead to tolling and rest area commercialization.
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January 22, 2018
Tolls represent a regressive double tax that disproportionately hurts lower income drivers and will create significant disruptions for local communities, a representative of the Alliance for Toll-Free Interstates said in a recent interview with National Public Radio (NPR).
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January 11, 2018
The Trump Administration is expected to delay its timetable for unveiling infrastructure guidelines until after the State of the Union, lawmakers said Jan. 11.
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October 25, 2017
The President’s chief economic advisor on Oct. 25 raised the possibility of increasing the federal motor fuels tax next year to help pay for the Administration’s $1 trillion infrastructure plan.
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May 2, 2017
President Trump said May 1 that he would consider raising the gas tax as a means of boosting infrastructure revenues, however the President stopped short of announcing a full-scale endorsement for a motor fuels tax increase.
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March 24, 2017
U.S. Rep. John Delaney (D-Md.) introduced two bipartisan bills that would use revenues from tax reform to finance infrastructure.
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March 23, 2017
Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.), ranking member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, on March 22 introduced legislation that he said will generate nearly $500 billion to rebuild U.S. roads, bridges and transit systems.
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March 3, 2017
Just days after President Trump reiterated his call for a $1 Trillion infrastructure package, the Administration convened a meeting of more than 15 federal agencies to begin formulating an official infrastructure proposal, including potential projects and funding options.
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February 9, 2017
For the second time in as many weeks, a key congressional committee held a hearing to consider funding options for improving the nation's infrastructure. Throughout the hearing, senators emphasized the need to find direct funding opportunities -- such as raising the motor fuel excise tax -- because private financing does not provide a complete solution, especially in rural communities.
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February 2, 2017
In the first of what will surely be many Congressional hearings on highway policy this year, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee heard from executives at FedEx, Cargill, BMW, and Vermeer Corp., as well as the AFL-CIO. The hearing was widely bipartisan, and lawmakers called it a good first step in the process of developing a massive infrastructure plan. But it remains clear that Congress and the White House still have a long way to go before they can agree on a viable path forward to raise the necessary revenue to improve the nation's transportation system.
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January 18, 2017
An overwhelming majority of the general public ranks infrastructure investment as a top priority provided it comes in the form of new direct federal spending, according to a new poll conducted for Politico and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of public health.
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December 1, 2016
President-elect Donald Trump's pick to lead the Treasury Department reiterated the incoming administration's commitment to passing a massive infrastructure package calling it a big priority for the administration.
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November 14, 2016
Less than one week after Donald Trump was elected the 45th President of the United States, it is clear that the President-elect places a high priority on infrastructure spending. "We are going to . . . rebuild our highways, bridges, tunnels, airports, schools, hospitals. We're going to rebuild our infrastructure, which will become, by the way, second to none. And we will put millions of our people back to work as we rebuild it," Trump said in his victory speech.
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September 30, 2016
In a potentially critical development for off-highway businesses such as travel plazas and truckstops, the U.S. Department of Transportation is soliciting public input regarding expanding the types of goods and services that may be offered at highway rest areas located on the right-of-way. The Department is specifically requesting input as to what constitutes a "vending machine," noting that technological advancements in this area have been significant in recent years.
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August 19, 2016
The nation’s infrastructure has gotten worse over the last five years and the Federal government should bear the primary responsibility for funding repairs, according to a recent survey of 2,000 registered voters.
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