Washington, D.C. — The following is a statement from Randall (Randy) S. Over, P.E., president of The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE):
“President Obama’s proposed $302 billion transportation plan is an encouraging step forward in addressing the impending cliff our nation faces this year with the Highway Trust Fund. When the Highway Trust Fund becomes insolvent later this year, road and bridge projects will cease, payments will stop, and the shockwaves throughout our economy will be significant.
“As if the President’s proposal weren’t momentum enough, we were also happy to see a transportation proposal from House Ways and Means Chairman Dave Camp. Both the President’s proposal and Chairman Camp’s proposal offer a much-needed fix for the Highway Trust Fund. Ultimately, America’s transportation system needs long-term, sustainable revenue sources, but we are encouraged by this bi-partisan effort to identify funding before it is too late. For state DOTs, local governments, and transit agencies across the country, it’s difficult to plan a large-scale project if you don’t know how much funding there will be or if the project can even be completed.
“The American Society of Civil Engineers supports an ‘all options on the table’ approach to funding the Highway Trust Fund. Any comprehensive transportation plan must be focused on modernizing our infrastructure network in order to build a 21st century economy. Failing to do this will hurt our economy and impact our competitiveness around the world.
“It is our hope that the President and Congress will work together to make their solutions a reality, and we look forward to working with them on this critical issue.”
