The Water Resources and Development Act of 2013 invests $12 billion in the nation’s marine transportation system.
With the Highway Trust Fund estimated to have insufficient resources for Fiscal Year 2015 outlay, keeping it solvent depends on doing these three things.
In a recent article, Politico and a few members of Congress raised doubts as to whether America’s infrastructure is truly “crumbling.” If “crumbling” isn’t the right adjective or verb, then let’s try some different words.
Bill Johnson, director of PortMiami, had a vision for how Florida’s largest port could take advantage of the 2015 opening of the expanded Panama Canal. With public-private partnerships and ambitious projects, the port is on track to help America meet its export goals.
The nation's overall infrastructure grade is a D+, according to a new report.
An annual study of national driving patterns reveals that Americans spent 5.5 billion additional hours sitting in traffic in 2011. So how do we reduce congestion?
A new report shows that infrastructure investment will protect more than $3 trillion in GDP and more than 3 million U.S. jobs.
Nearly a quarter of a million jobs are at risk without increased investment.
27 months of guaranteed funding for our nation’s infrastructure system is a major step forward for the economy.
This legislation will save thousands of jobs in construction and related industries in the near term and strengthen the nation’s economy and spur economic growth in the long term.
There is enough foundation for compromise that conferees on both sides should redouble their efforts to negotiate in good faith and get a bill done this summer.
A substantial investment in the nation’s freight transportation system must be given a high priority.
The two commissions created by Congress in the 2005 highway, transit and safety law reached a shared conclusion: The next transportation reauthorization bill needs to increase sources of revenue for the Highway Trust Fund and begin the transition to a sustainable and stable user-fee derived revenue source.
To get there from here, we need this transportation bill.
The House and Senate should come together to pass long-term surface transportation legislation into law before the program expires on June 30th.
The next time the Wall Street Journal editorial board decides to reprint talking points from the Heritage Foundation they might endeavor in some fact-checking.
The Chamber's Janet Kavinoky explains why the transportation bill passed by the Senate is "solid."
A report found over 1.2 million jobs are at the nation’s commercial airports, visitor spending supports another 3.6 million jobs, and construction work employed more than 72,000 workers in 2010.
How about it, Congress? Let’s get a multi-year highway and transit bill passed.
Washington is abuzz with debate regarding the merit and scope of the federal programs.
America’s infrastructure is in a sorry state. More money and more care are needed for our transportation networks, energy systems, sewers, and all of the other frameworks that keep America running.
Today, more than 1,000 companies, chambers of commerce, organizations and labor groups from all 50 states signed a letter to Congress asking them to “make transportation job #1” and pass a federal highway and public transit bill this spring.
Yesterday, the Chamber’s Let’s Rebuild America initiative hosted an Infrastructure Investment Forum to explore how private investment in national infrastructure can help resolve America’s transportation project gridlock. The forum featured keynote remarks from Senator Mark Kirk and a high-level
An op-ed penned by Washington Post reporter Charles Lane that appeared in that paper’s editorial pages yesterday questions the case for increased federal investment in transportation infrastructure investment. Perhaps Lane went on an early Halloween candy binge, and the resulting sugar rush clou
In this guest post, Stu Levenick, Group President, Caterpillar, urges Congress to reauthorize the surface transportation bill, SAFETEA-LU.
My journeys as a Caterpillar executive have taken me around the globe, visiting our employees, customers, dealers, and suppliers. I have viewed firsthand the
In this guest post, HNTB's Paul Yarossi, an advisor to the Chamber’s Let’s Rebuild America initiative, offers some insights on how to tap into the pool of private capital as Congress and the Administration debate much-needed policy reforms.
Across America, our public infrastructure is wearing ou
Last night, a rare bipartisan agreement was sent to the President's desk when the Senate passed an extension of surface transportation and aviation programs. This is a win for Congress and for those looking to see job creation. With this extension, states and other project sponsors can move fo
Bloomberg Views is out with an editorial that touts the creation of a National Infrastructure Bank (NIB) as a way to combat the staggering unemployment our country faces. While the infrastructure bank is a great idea, and one that the Chamber supports wholeheartedly, NIB is a long-term strategy t
It’s been one week since Congress failed to extend the programs, taxes and fees for the FAA.
In this week:
Stop work orders have left 70,000 construction workers without paychecks.
4000 FAA employees are furloughed.
Construction sites are empty at 150 airports – and many of those projec
Yesterday, House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee Chairman John Mica rolled out a detailed outline of a SAFETEA-LU reauthorization bill that addresses highways, highway safety, public transportation, freight and passenger rail, and marine transportation issues. I live tweeted like a madw
Today, a coalition from both ends of the political spectrum joined together in Ohio to highlight a new study about the cost of congestion and aging roads in the Buckeye State.
Both business and labor stood together to release the report entitled, “Future Mobility in Ohio: Meeting the State’s Need
Yesterday another weapon was added to the arsenal of those fighting for improving the performance of U.S. infrastructure and preparing for the economy of the future. A new paper from the Organization for International Investment (OFII) “highlights the important role modernized, world-class infras
I love the opportunity to celebrate an accomplishment rather than focusing on challenges. Saturday presented that kind of opportunity in the form of the dedication of the new Air Traffic Control System Command Center just outside of Washington, DC, in Vint Hill, Virginia.
With the dedication of
In response to the Heritage Foundation post, "House Transportation Rule is Waste Buster"
The U.S. Chamber supports federal investment in highways and transit. I respectfully disagree with Mr. Utt's comments (and would challenge the correctness of many of them). In short, we oppose the Republican L
by Janet KavinokyAmerica's marine transportation system -- from waterways to ports -- is an engine for economic growth and job creation. It enables the business community to transport goods in a cost-effective, energy-efficient manner to domestic and international markets. The movement of waterborne
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce could not agree more with the bi-partisan panel of experts, led by two former transportation secretaries, that concluded our declining transportation system will undermine our ability to compete in the global economy.In fact, on September 23, the Chamber released a scie
When it comes to transportation policy, you usually hear the Chamber talking about the fixed infrastructure in the U.S. – roads, rails, runways – or about smoothing the bumps in supply chains by creating more reliable, dependable transportation networks or minimizing regulatory costs to the truck d
by James Sneeringer
Today is the anniversary of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), and the Americans for Transportation Mobility (ATM) Coalition is highlighting the successes of transportation and infrastructure investment. Executive Director Janet Kavinoky had this to say:
A year
We need to create jobs and we need to modernize our infrastructure, there is an obvious harmony between these two needs and an obvious question -- How do we pay for it? Recently, the President called for innovative approaches to infrastructure investment. He is correct that the government can’t mee
Last week I posted on the importance of the Next Gen Air Transportation System (NextGen) to bring the U.S. aviation system up to 21st century standards. Today the Washington Post gives us a picture worth a thousand words -- the aggregate daily flights into and out of the New York metropolitan area'
Maintaining and modernizing our nation's critical transportation infrastructure should be a national priority, especially when it comes to our aviation industry. The health of the U.S. aviation system is of critical importance to the business community because it facilitates the movement of goods
Lisa Caruso generated a lot of good commentary at the National Journal with the question "What Can We Learn About Transportation From Beyond Our Borders?" Here were three themes I picked up:
First, we can't afford for Congress to say, "Been there, done that," after the stimulus...
Second, Congress
We have been pushing for long-term infrastructure investment for years, and infrastructure as stimulus for months (latest testimony); but it isn’t just business community saying it, all American's see the problems and demand solutions -- and are willing to pay for them. Frank Luntz from the L.A. T
Tomorrow we will host "Taking the Challenge: Real Solutions for Rebuilding Our Critical Infrastructure", which will be streamed live starting at 9 a.m. The program will bring together experts from our nation's transportation, energy, and broadband infrastructure sectors to discuss past experience
The coveted America's Transportation Award (ATA) Grand Prize and the People's Choice Award were presented yesterday during a ceremony at the American Association of State Highway & Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Annual Meeting in Hartford, CT. Ten regional award winning projects were up for the
from EnergyXXI
The NextGen Energy Council released a study last week highlighting that "the U.S. faces significant risk of power brownouts and blackouts as early as next summer that may cost tens of billions of dollars and threaten lives." The U.S. Chamber’s Let’s Rebuild America initiative is about focusing att
More than two million miles of underground water pipelines exist in the United States. According to the EPA there is a $540 billion gap in the money needed to maintain and renew this aging infrastructure. In July, David Chavern used the occasion of a U.S. Chamber event Water Infrastructure: Why Co
Time is running out for our nation’s highway and public transportation programs. Today begins the one year countdown to the expiration of the existing highway and transit law, SAFETEA-LU. Signed into law in 2005, SAFETEA-LU fails to address many of the challenges that our transportation system face
Yesterday a new report by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) called the Bridging the Gap: Restoring and Rebuilding the Nation's Bridges presented:the latest on the conditions, age and costs to repair and modernize the nation’s 590,000 bridges as well as
Many things happened in the world yesterday, have a look. But we are going to take a ride in the short term memory machine to Kevin's morning news yesterday and the Wall Street Journal story which outlined that "an unprecedented cutback in driving is slashing the funds available to rebuild the nat
Did you know that Washington State exports more goods to China that it imports? How about the fact that 90% of exported goods from the state come from small and medium-size businesses? Did you know that the Ports of Tacoma and Seattle support over 300,999 port-related jobs across the state? With st
Last month we published the East Regional winners of the prestigious "America’s Transportation Award." (ATA). The transportation projects were judged according to their size in three categories; "Innovative management," "On Time" and "On Budget" construction. The ATA’s purpose is to raise awarenes
In-Forum had an article today detailing the broadband aspects of our community forum in Fargo, North DakotaBroadband Internet access may be the answer to a shortage of health-care workers, dwindling employment opportunities and providing declining rural North Dakota school districts with teachers,
There’s a need for better infrastructure in North Dakota and residents know it. In conjunction with the Monday’s Connect! event in Fargo, the Chamber is highlighting the state’s efforts to improve its telecommunications, energy, and transportation infrastructure.
TELECOMMUNICATIONSWith a modest inc
There was a good editorial in Colorado last month about the shortfall in the Federal Highway Trust Fund and one today in Kansas. They read pretty similar; why? because nothing is being done to address this critical issue. As reported by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation
This morning U.S. Chamber President Tom Donohue, Laborers’ International Union of North America President Terry O’Sullivan, and American Road & Transportation Builders Association President Pete Ruane launched the Americans for Transportation Mobility Coalition’s FasterBetterSafer Campaign. The Ca
And now our final Northeast Region winner of an America's Transportation Award.
Winner for “On Time” – Medium ProjectMaryland Department of TransportationState Route 70 Rowe Boulevard Bridge, Annapolis, MD.
The $28.5 million project included the replacement of the existing 7-span steel girder bridg
Admit it, when you think of a government project the words "on budget" don't leap to mind, but here is our next regional winner of an America's Transportation Award.
Winner for "On Budget" – Medium ProjectPennsylvania Department of TransportationRoute 830 Airport Access Project, Jefferson County, P
Roads & Bridges featured America's Transportation Award, have a look. Now for the winner for "Innovative Management" – Medium Project:
New York Department of TransportationFrederick Douglass Susan B. Anthony Memorial Bridge, Rochester, NY
The $38 million Frederick Douglass-Susan B. Anthony Memoria
A cliff hanger highway, a floating bridge considered to be a technological marvel and an economic lifeline are among the outstanding transportation projects winning the prestigious "America’s Transportation Award." (ATA)
The competition sponsored by the U.S. Chamber, AAA, and the American Associat
The U.S. Chamber, in partnership with Americans for Transportation Mobility, released a report today which studied "the linkages between the capacity and performance of the nation’s transportation system and U.S. economic productivity, competitiveness, and growth"
The report, "The Transportation Ch
On March 11th I had the privilege of testifying before the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee regarding the condition of our nation’s infrastructure and proposals for needed improvements. Below are some of the key points I was able to present. The full testimony is available here
On Wednesday the Senate Environment and Public Works committee held a hearing on a very significant report that details a new vision and several interesting policy and funding proposals for highways and public transportation. I had the opportunity to testify at the hearing and give the Chamber’s i
