HMG pushes Congress for funding

Infrastructure Week 2016 sees Highway Materials Group renew its push for increased investment

THE National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association (NSSGA) and other members of America’s Highway Materials Group (HMG) who supply the materials and equipment that build and maintain the nation’s roads, highways and bridges, renewed their push for increased highway funding during Infrastructure Week 2016, which took place from16–23 May.

The week offered the industry the opportunity to highlight the importance of the nation’s transportation infrastructure to economic growth while cautioning that future investment still is insufficient.

‘Congress made a huge leap, after more than a decade of temporary fixes, and passed the multi-year FAST Act in 2015, but they still haven’t solved the long-term system shortfall and settled on a funding mechanism that provides a stable and growing revenue source necessary to maintain and improve our nation’s roads, bridges and highways. The job is not done,’ said Gerald Voigt, president and chief executive officer of the American Concrete Pavement Association.

The FAST Act, adopted by Congress and approved by President Obama in December 2015, injects US$305 billion into the surface transportation network from fiscal year 2016 through to 2020. However, in lieu of fixing the user fee-based Highway Trust Fund in any meaningful way, it is said that the bill has been funded through one-off budget contrivances that conflict directly with the user fee principle.

‘Our transportation infrastructure is critical to the American way of life, creating jobs and growing our economy, and is directly linked to our economic future,’ said Associated Equipment Distributors’ president and chief executive officer, Brian McGuire. ‘Congress must begin work now to ensure that a new sustainable funding system is in place before the FAST Act expires.’

Infrastructure Week is a national week of high-profile events, media coverage, focused advocacy and other efforts held around the country to build momentum for revitalization of America’s economic competitiveness through rebuilding the nation’s infrastructure.

Led by groups representing America’s business, labour and policy-making leadership, Infrastructure Week convened an unprecedented, broad and non-partisan coalition united around the message that ‘Infrastructure Matters’.

‘The Highway Materials Group represents more than a million jobs that impact all aspects of our economy,’ said NSSGA president and chief executive officer Michael W. Johnson (pictured). ‘These jobs are spread across the country and cannot be outsourced to another country. Investing in infrastructure is investing in America.’