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  • AASHTO Letter Urges Congress to Pass H.R. 662, Extending SAFETEA-LU
    WASHINGTON, D.C. - John Horsley, AASHTO executive director, today sent a letter to all members of Congress, requesting the passage of H.R. 662, "The Surface Transportation Extension Act of 2011". The full text of the letter is below.

    March 1, 2011

    TO THE MEMBERS OF THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS:

    The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) supports passage of H.R. 662, the "Surface Transportation Extension Act of 2011," that would extend the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient, Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEALU) as well as expenditure authority for the Highway Trust Fund through the end of FY2011. While AASHTO continues to support Congressional efforts to enact a well-funded, long-term surface transportation bill, the absence of such a bill makes this extension essential to creating and sustaining jobs and maintaining America's transportation infrastructure. Furthermore, this extension provides much needed certainty for the construction industry, states, and localities as they begin the 2011 construction season.

    SAFETEA-LU expired September 30, 2009, and has since been operating on a series of short-term extensions - the latest of which expires at the end of this week. The uncertainty created by the lack of a multi-year federal commitment to improving America's highway and public transportation facilities will contribute to a slowdown in transportation development activity in many states. The jobs impact of this situation has rippled throughout the economy. Workers at design and engineering firms, construction companies, equipment manufacturers, and materials providers have lost their jobs and even more positions are on the line due to uncertainty in federal funding, at a time in which the U.S. unemployment rate remains at record highs.

    Congress must not delay in passing a robust, multi-year highway and transit reauthorization in the 112th Congress. While reauthorization entails a host of challenging policy and revenue issues, this effort should be viewed as a key opportunity to move U.S. infrastructure into the 21st century, bolster economic recovery efforts, and improve all Americans' way of life. If local, state, and national leaders continue to ignore this important issue, commerce will suffer, fatalities will rise, congestion and pollution with grow unabated, and the United States will find itself further and further behind its rapidly expanding international competitors.

    To help prevent further job loss and ensure vital transportation investments continue, AASHTO strongly urges you to extend SAFETEA-LU and expenditure authority for the Highway Trust Fund through the end of fiscal year 2011.

    Sincerely,


    John Horsley
    Executive Director

  • Reducing Transportation's Funding Gap: New AASHTO Report Offers Solutions
    WASHINGTON, D.C. - According a congressional commission, the gap between current revenues available for surface transportation and capital needs each year is $137 billion.

    In recognition of the need to discuss a broad range of tools to address this "funding gap," a new report from the AASHTO Center for Excellence in Project Finance outlines a number of options for meeting revenue needs.

    This report is a result of a wide-ranging forum held for members of Congress and their staff in September 2010, at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center. Entitled Funding and Financing Solutions for Surface Transportation in the Coming Decade, more than a hundred people took part in the discussions that were organized around six sessions that addressed:

    • Near- and medium-term funding options for the Federal surface transportation programs
    • Expanded applications of current Federal financing tools
    • Best funding and financing practices at the state and local level

    Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman John Mica (R-FL), Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), and former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell were among the many public and private sector leaders who participated in the forum and contributed to the conference report.

    In addition, the AASHTO Center for Excellence in Project Finance has enhanced its website to include a new interactive map with detailed state-by-state transportation data from 1992 to 2008 for:

    • Demographics
    • State Roadway System
    • Toll Facilities
    • Revenue Sources
    • State DOT Spending
    • Motor Fuel Taxes

    To view both the forum report and the state-by-state information, visit the AASHTO Center for Excellence in Project Finance website at http://www.transportation-finance.org.

  • State of the Union: AASHTO Supports President Obama's Vision for Transportation Investment
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – AASHTO commends President Obama's State of the Union address for supporting jobs and the economy through greater investment in transportation infrastructure.

    "We continue to be encouraged that President Obama supports investing in America's transportation infrastructure – recognizing the role it plays in creating jobs, growing the national economy and balancing the federal deficit," said John Horsley, executive director of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. "The President understands that America needs a sustainable federal transportation program that helps state departments of transportation modernize and maintain our nation's transportation systems, and creates jobs during a critical moment in our nation's economic recovery.

    We look forward to working with the Administration and Congress to pass a new transportation authorization bill this year to ensure we have a safe and efficient transportation system that can create and sustain hundreds of thousands of jobs, and that will continue to support our recovering economy."

  • Facebook, YouTube Campaign Urges Americans to Tell Congress about Transportation Needs
    (Washington, D.C.) – As Congress begins work on a new transportation bill, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) today launched a social media campaign to generate public opinion about what priorities should be included. Travelers, truckers, commuters, cyclists – anyone who uses the nation's transportation network – are invited to share their transportation comments and concerns using AASHTO's Facebook and YouTube pages.

    "What better time than now during the first month of the new Congress to tell members what Americans need and want when it comes to transportation," said John Horsley, AASHTO executive director. "We expect Congress to draft new legislation this year that will set transportation policy and funding levels for years to come. It is AASHTO's goal to help Congress understand the priorities of the American people."

    Horsley was joined today by leaders of the Associated General Contractors of America and the American Public Transportation Association at Union Station to launch the effort. The campaign is designed to give America's transportation users a voice in the debate about how to fund and shape the nation's federal highway and transit programs.

    During the six-week campaign, people can use AASHTO's Facebook page to post YouTube videos and written comments about their transportation priorities, ideas, and personal stories. Already a number of people have weighed-in on their concerns, from traffic congestion and safety, to high-speed rail and job creation through greater investment in transportation projects.

    To view or post your comment, go to /IToldCongress.

    "We want to encourage everyone to join us," Horsley said. "Our goal is to build support for greater investment in all transportation modes. When you consider that in just a few decades, 400 million people will be living in the U.S. and using our transportation systems, there's no time to waste."

    AASHTO's view is that the next transportation bill must take a balanced approach that will:

    • Invest in both highways and transit;
    • Address the needs of metropolitan, suburban, AND rural areas;
    • Meet preservation and modernization needs while allowing states to expand capacity where needed to meet population, freight, and economic growth.

    AASHTO will continue the campaign through February and will compile the videos and comments to present to key federal officials in March, prior to the expiration of the latest extension of the highway and transit legislation.

  • Booming Energy Economy Impacting Condition of North Dakota Roads
    (Washington DC) – Contrary to the financial woes many states are experiencing, North Dakota is in the midst of an economic boom. One of the nation's largest wind farms is located in the state. In addition, according to the most recent U.S. Geological Survey estimate from April 2008. Literally millions of barrels of undiscovered, technically recoverable crude oil are in North Dakota. As a result, experts predict this alone could keep the economy humming for the next 20 years.

    In a new Two Minute State DOT Update video, North Dakota Department of Transportation Director Francis Ziegler says that's the good news.

    "Oil crews are working in areas where they are drilling three or four wells in one spot and it can take up to 2,000 vehicles to service a single well," says Ziegler. "When you add it up, we're putting a lot of wear and tear on the state's existing roads and bridges."

    Ziegler says the big concern is in the oil-rich western section of North Dakota. A December 2010 study conducted by the North Dakota State University's Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute forecast the road investment needs for 17 oil-and-gas-producing counties during the next 20 years. The study determined that in the past five years, oil production in North Dakota has more than doubled from approximately 3,300 wells prior to 2005 to 5,200 active wells in 2010. The study forecast investment needs for all roads in those counties amounted to $907 million, or roughly $45 million annually over the 2011-30 period.

    "We had roads that were in great shape and two months later we had two- or three-inch ruts in them. And so we're realizing we're going to need a lot more investment," Ziegler says.

    Find out more about this issue as well as what the North Dakota DOT is doing to bring down the number of crossover crashes, especially on rural roads, by watching the full video at www.transportationtv.org.

  • Texas DOT Using Innovative Financing to Build During Lean Times
    (Washington DC) – A $2.5 billion expressway project in Forth Worth, Texas, will cost the state Department of Transportation just $573 million – less than one-fourth of the total cost. The reason: public/private partnerships.

    "Our state has been a leader in this area," Texas Department of Transportation Executive Director Amadeo Saenz recently told AASHTO's Transportation TV. "These partnerships between states and a private companies are allowing TxDOT to build several major projects that otherwise would not be built. By moving these projects forward, we can eliminate traffic congestion, give our citizens shorter commutes, and create jobs."

    Saenz discusses public/private partnerships and other innovative financing tools in a new Two Minute State DOT Update video on Transportation TV. He says "the economic downturn has dramatically reduced state tax revenues and forced TxDOT to work even harder to find ways to pay for critical transportation projects."

    According to a report from the National Conference of State Legislatures, 15 states are facing combined budget gaps midway through their 2011 fiscal year totaling $26.7 billion, and a December survey of states by the National Governors Association and the National Association of State Budget Officers finds that slow revenue growth, increased spending demands, and the loss of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds "will create a cliff in fiscal 2012 and contribute to state fiscal strains."

    "There's no question that state departments of transportation must explore every funding option available to them," said Jack Basso, director of program finance and management at the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. "User fees remain the backbone of support for transportation funding. However the kind of innovative financing tools being applied in Texas and other states go a long way toward ensuring that states have the ability to meet their transportation goals."

    Watch the Saenz Two Minute State DOT Update now at http://bit.ly/TTVVideo121710.

  • States Use Technology and Efficiency to Cut the Cost of Battling Winter
    (Washington DC) – Major snowfall and freezing temperatures continue to impact a large portion of North America this week, although winter doesn't officially begin until December 21. The National Weather Service says a La Niña is at least partially responsible and the agency predicts this weather pattern could cause a second consecutive year of record snowfalls in many parts of the United States.

    The challenge for most state transportation departments will be to maintain a high level of service this winter season without the benefit of additional financial resources. Many states have already turned to new technology and environmentally sensitive solutions to cut costs and improve efficiency.

    • The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) recently installed 17 HomeView Technologies® road condition monitoring cameras at remote locations throughout the state. The solar-powered system uses state-of-the-art, low-cost web cameras, high speed wireless communication, and infrared sensors to broadcast video from distant mountains passes or other problem areas. Now instead of sending a snow plow to investigate a location, supervisors can take a quick look and decide whether an area needs to be plowed. "So far this winter we have a net cost savings of about $200,000 using this system," said Lynn Bernhard, UDOT Operations Program Manager.
    • The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) has deployed 222 snowplows statewide, equipped with a Maintenance Decision Support System (MDSS), which combines advanced weather and road condition prediction and rules of practice to help operators determine the proper application of anti-icing and de-icing chemicals on a route-by-route basis. CDOT is also using automatic de-icing systems to spray liquid de-icers once on-site sensors detect a decrease in surface temperatures and an increase in moisture.
    • This season, more than a dozen state DOTs will be using the highly efficient 26-foot-wide Tow Plow that is pulled behind a conventional plow truck, allowing two interstate travel lanes to be cleared and treated in a single pass. The original design for the Tow Plow was the brainchild of a Missouri DOT (MoDOT) employee who applied his knowledge of farm equipment to snowplows. MoDOT worked with a snowplow contractor to design and build the version in use today.
    • This winter, the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) will use a substance called "Magic Salt" to help melt ice and snow during lower temperatures. Magic Salt, made from potato juice, is a biodegradable, non-corrosive and environmentally friendly substance. TDOT and several other states, including Maryland DOT, will also use beet juice to improve snow and ice removal from roadways when temperatures fall. TDOT is also adding ten new 14-foot snow plows across the state. The plows are more than four feet wider than traditional plows and have the ability to clear an entire travel lane in one pass. Some TDOT trucks will be fitted with new, underbody plows that are being tested for the capability to remove hard-packed ice from the roadway.
    • This season, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and other state agencies that respond to emergencies will use WeatherShare, a new web-based tool that sends alerts, warnings, and advisories (depending on the level of danger) for fog, ice, winds, fire, and more. The system sends weather data to Caltrans' transportation management center operators, maintenance staff, and other agencies, such as Emergency Medical Services and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Users can easily gather more information about a specific location or a statewide region through WeatherShare's easy-to-use online maps. The public can view WeatherShare at http://www.weathershare.org.

    "Innovation is critical," said John Horsley, executive director of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. "And so is efficiency. Part of AASHTO's mission is to help install new technologies as they become market-ready. We accomplish this objective through an AASHTO committee called Technology Implementation Group (TIG), which helped to deploy the Maintenance support system (MDSS) and the Tow Plow. States suffered a major financial blow last year due to record-setting storms and blizzards, and all indications are state budgets will remain tight throughout 2011."

    State DOTs are also encouraging motorists to do their part to keep roads clear and drivers safe. When major storms are forecast, drivers should visit state DOT websites for the latest traveler information. Most states also offer 511 information lines and Twitter alerts. Citizens also should plan to stay off the roadways during major snow events to give more room to the plow trucks. They should also keep a set of chains in their vehicle and install them when necessary for adequate tire traction. Motorists should also carry an emergency kit with items like water, food, blankets, a battery operated radio, a shovel, ice scraper, and a flashlight.

    A complete list of state web sites is available at www.transportation.org.

  • AASHTO Touts Obama Speech Calling for Greater Transportation Investment
    (WASHINGTON, DC) – The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials today thanked President Barack Obama for continuing to shine a national spotlight on the critical issue of transportation investment. Not since President Dwight D. Eisenhower championed the construction of a national Interstate Highway System has a president spoken as often about the need to invest in the nation's essential surface transportation networks.

    "I hope America was listening Monday to the President's speech at Forsyth Technical Community College in Winston-Salem, North Carolina," said John Horsley, AASHTO executive director. "The President warned that America is in danger of falling behind in the race for the future and he called for greater investment in America's infrastructure – roads, railways, runways, and information superhighways – to create jobs and economic growth."

    "The kind of investment the President is calling for is best achieved through a robust, multiyear highway and transit reauthorization bill," Horsley said. "We know accomplishing this critical milestone won't be easy, however AASHTO is encouraged by the President's consistent support. The objective now will be to turn his words into bipartisan Congressional action that will lead to a highway and transit bill that works for America."

  • AASHTO Salutes Final Report from the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – AASHTO salutes the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform on the release of its final proposal that includes a recommendation to gradually increase the per gallon gas tax by 15 cents between 2013 and 2015 to support essential transportation infrastructure improvements.

    "We are also encouraged that the report emphasizes the vital link between transportation and balancing the federal deficit," said John Horsley, executive director of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. "This crucial investment in transportation will pay huge dividends in the form of safer highways and transit systems for generations to come, while creating and sustaining hundreds of thousands of good paying jobs today."

    The Commission's report states that without new Highway Trust Fund revenue, policymakers will be forced to impose highway and transit program cuts that would reduce payrolls and impede economic growth.

  • Top Transportation Officials and State DOTs Win Prestigious Awards
    BILOXI, MS – A handful of the nation's leading transportation officials were recognized this week for outstanding achievement during the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials 2010 Annual Meeting. The awards acknowledged exemplary performance by individuals, project teams, and state transportation departments -- in the areas of administration, environment, engineering, planning, design, operations, and maintenance.

    These national awards and the people and programs were recognized for their hard work and dedication, as well as their contribution to the legacy of essential and innovative transportation projects that every American can be proud of.

    The awards and winners are:

    Thomas H. MacDonald Memorial Award
    Kirk Steudle, Director
    Michigan Department of Transportation
    This award recognizes outstanding contributions to highway engineering. In his 23-year career with MDOT, Steudle has worked his way up from an engineering trainee to a national leader who has transformed a 2,900-employee agency to an integrated transportation provider overseeing roads, bridges, mass transit, rail, aviation, and marine. The department has evolved from being an expenditure-driven organization to one that is results-driven.

    Alfred E. Johnson Achievement Award
    Robert Hull, Director of Traffic and Safety
    Utah Department of Transportation
    This award recognizes outstanding contributions in engineering or administration. Hull has been instrumental in directing Utah's successful efforts toward safer roads. He has taken a collaborative approach to improving traffic safety, uniting the labors of Utah's traffic engineers, law-enforcement agencies, safety educators, and emergency responders.

    Francis B. Francois Award for Innovation
    Missouri Department of Transportation
    This award recognizes a state transportation department that has implemented an outstanding innovative program. MoDOT is being honored for construction of a Diverging Diamond Interchange at Interstate 44 and Missouri 13 in Springfield. The junction had been a recurring congestion point, with southbound traffic on Missouri 13 routinely backing up one mile during peak hours. The interchange also lacked a sidewalk or shoulder to accommodate pedestrians or bicyclists. Instead of rebuilding the interchange with a conventional design, MoDOT chose to construct the first Diverging Diamond Interchange in the Western Hemisphere to remedy the location's congestion and safety problems.

    President's Special Award of Merit
    John Horsley, Executive Director, and Jack Basso, Director of Program Finance and Management
    American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials
    This award recognizes individuals who have made outstanding and exemplary contributions to the work of the association. Horsley and Basso were honored for their successful efforts to maintain federal funding for state highway and transit programs as well as the excellent service they each provided to Mississippi Department of Transportation Executive Director Butch Brown during his tenure as AASHTO president.

    The 2010 President's Transportation Awards:

    Administration
    Kevin Keith, Interim Director
    Missouri Department of Transportation
    Keith developed a new standard known as "practical design" during his previous tenure as chief engineer. The concept has saved Missouri taxpayers $500 million and its emphasis on systemwide safety has contributed to the lowest traffic death count on the state's highways since 1950.

    Environment
    Green Leadership in Transportation and Environmental Sustainability Program
    New York State Department of Transportation
    The GreenLITES team has developed tools that advance the department's efforts in aligning sustainability efforts in planning, design, operations, and maintenance. In just 18 months, the team coordinated and implemented rating systems and recognition programs for project design as well as operations and maintenance programs, a regional assessment tool, and a project solicitation tool.

    Highways
    Interstate 84/Vista Avenue Interchange Project Team
    Idaho Transportation Department
    The team, led by ITD's Jason Brinkman and Wade Christiansen, designed Idaho's first Single-Point Urban Interchange at Interstate 84 and Vista Avenue, a key road connecting downtown Boise with the state capital's airport.

    Highway Traffic Safety
    511 Team
    Idaho Transportation Department
    Idaho's 511 traveler-information system has been transformed to one of the most comprehensive available in the nation thanks to the leadership of ITD's six-person 511 Team. Motorists driving in Idaho now have instant access to critical road and weather information to make travel decisions and get to their destinations safely. Motorists now have a one-stop shop to look for critical information that allows them to make good travel choices.

    Intermodal Transportation
    Frederick Rappe Jr., Special Assistant to the Secretary of Transportation
    Maryland Department of Transportation
    Rappe spearheaded the complex infrastructure finance work needed to execute one of the largest public/private partnerships agreements in the Northeast to build a new 50-foot-deep berth at the Port of Baltimore. His troubleshooting of key financial-management issues related to this project has created a new standard in the development of public/private partnerships.

    Performance Management
    District 2 Hot-Mix Asphalt Analyses Program
    Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
    PennDOT's District 2 identified a need to ensure the integrity of hot-mix asphalt to improve pavement life and optimize pavement performance. The district's Materials Unit worked with asphalt producers to develop an optimization program that provides data analyses as a tool to identify deviations in mixes to ensure high-quality pavements.

    Planning
    Brian Gregor, Senior Transportation Analyst
    Oregon Department of Transportation
    Gregor researched and developed the first version of the Greenhouse Gas State Transportation Emissions Planning model known as "GreenSTEP" and applied it in the work he did for the Land Use and Transportation Subcommittee of Oregon's Global Warming Commission. One of GreenSTEP's assets is that it allows for the testing of many different scenarios of policy and technology variables quickly, which is of great importance in the rapidly evolving subject area of transportation greenhouse-gas emissions.

    Rail Transportation
    Patrick Simmons, Rail Division Director
    North Carolina Department of Transportation
    Simmons has led NCDOT's Rail Division for 20 years, during which time his vision and leadership have been essential to the success of the state's rail program. He is a national leader in safety, passenger operations, and station development. His efforts to develop high-speed rail in North Carolina paid off this year, when the Federal Railroad Administration awarded the state a $545 million recovery act grant for the Southeastern High-Speed Rail Corridor.

    Research
    Composites Initiative Team
    Maine Department of Transportation
    This team has been successful at introducing composite technologies into traditional transportation infrastructure in Maine. From simple composite bridge drains to a 540-foot-long multispan, continuous, hybrid-composite beam bridge along the coast, the 10-employee group has helped introduce and implement projects using composite technology.