The bill designating the National Highway System (NHS) is passed and was
signed by President Clinton Nov. 28, despite a last minute campaign to secure
a veto of the legislation by safety groups and insurance companies who are
opponents of the states' rights concept of establishing speed limits (see
Clinton Signs Off on NHS Bill; Metrication Set Back Five Years, p 18).
These groups were not alone in their concerns about repeal of the national
speed limit. Secretary of Transportation Federico Peña had said that
he had reservations about provisions in the NHS, such as speed limits, that
might affect safety. However, he felt the importance of the NHS to our nation's
highway system and the nation's economic well-being overrode those reservations.
In October, he said that he had recommended that the president sign the
bill.
Peña was correct to urge that the bill be signed. A veto of the bill
would have meant that states would have had to wait even longer to receive
the $5.4 billion that had been withheld from them since the Sept. 30 deadline
for passage of the bill came and went. Having the funds withheld has been
a detriment to our highway safety. The money was needed to make improvements
to roads that comprise the NHS, and for maintenance of the interstate system.
AASHTO President Bill Burnett, Executive Director of the Texas DOT, wrote
a letter to the president Nov. 27, echoing these sentiments. He said, "that
funding is needed now for many projects important to highway traffic safety
and mobility, which is a key reason why we need [the president's] signature."
President Clinton urged states to act cautiously in raising speed limits,
saying "the states, now given greater authority over issues of highway
safety, must exercise this authority responsibly."
While the debate over speed limits will continue, passage of the NHS legislation
is an important achievement that bodes well for both the short- and long-term
health of our nation's highways and our nation's economic vitality.
ROADS & BRIDGES encourages comments from our readers about the magazine.
We want to know what topics you, the reader, want to see covered in our
pages. We invite suggestions on subjects that are important to you and your
role in the highway industry. Contact the editor by telephone, fax, mail,
or E-mail at RdsNBrdgs@aol.com.
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