For many years, advocates of improved roads and bridges have complained about the scant political and media attention given to national transportation problems. Concerns over war, health care, education, social security and the environment tend to leave our issues on the back burner. While most Americans are concerned about the state of our infrastructure, it is often No. 6 on a top-five list for national political leaders. Each year, many of us hope in vain that the president might simply mention the words “road” or “bridge” in a State of the Union speech. Apparently, transportation had become so uninteresting that most newspapers eliminated the beat altogether.
In July, competing economic stimulus bills provided between $8 billion and $12.8 billion in new highway funding from the general fund of the treasury. With pressure from Obama, Congress has now embraced $30 billion in highway funding. In announcing the new funding levels, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi released a statement noting that “to build a 21st century economy, we need to engage contractors across the nation to create jobs rebuilding our crumbling highways and bridges.” Antihighway environmentalist groups who lobbied to block funding for new capacity and redirect highway funding to other modes were quietly rebuffed.
It is critical that we not only show our appreciation for Obama’s leadership, but also encourage its continuation through well-coordinated lobbying, media and grassroots activation campaigns in 2009. The stimulus is but the first of a one-two punch of 2009 legislation for roads and bridges. Far more important is whether the president and Congress will continue their leadership by supporting a $500 billion highway authorization bill. The public reaction to the stimulus bill and its implementation is a test for developing the political calculus for the bigger battle. Without a doubt, the multiyear highway bill will be a much heavier lift. Saving the Highway Trust Fund from bankruptcy and raising new revenues through highway user-fee increases will be politically risky. The only way to hold and increase the current level of public support for highway legislation is to increase transparency, guarantee performance and visibly improve outcomes.
To that end, the American Highway Users Alliance has developed a highway authorization plan with the motoring public’s interest in mind. Our focus is to move beyond the 18-year-old “TEA” programs and focus Congressional attention on transportation issues of national interest. We propose creating national priorities for (1) congestion relief, (2) safety, (3) critical freight corridors and (4) aging bridges and pavements. For each of these four programs, we recommend performance guarantees, with incentives and enough flexibility for the states to make the programs manageable. Finally, we recommend a continued commitment to transparency and earmark reform, streamlined planning and project delivery, and robust funding increases. Our detailed plan can be reviewed at www.highways.org.
The Highway Users’ recommendations represent a significant departure from the old “TEA” programs. But promising motorists better outcomes for their money is exactly the kind of change that will make highways a political winner for the Obama administration and the 111th Congress. This commitment to reform will encourage continued leadership and support from political leaders and the media. We are at a critical juncture—and for now, we have the president’s attention and support. His political advisors are watching to see if roads and bridges remain a winning issue with the public.
We must do everything we can—particularly at the grassroots level—to bolster public support as we tackle a difficult highway bill. If we fail, our issues will once again fall off of the agenda, and we will have missed a golden opportunity for a major improvement in our national transportation programs.
