Better Roads

May 2014

Better Roads Digital Magazine

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L earning from others. It's not a new concept, but it's one we often forget about. This means not only learning from others' success but also from their mistakes. This idea can and should be applied to advocating for a new transportation bill and continued infrastructure improvement. The American Road and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) has developed the Transportation Investment Advocacy Center (TIAC) to do just that. The web- based center, funded by contributions to ARTBA's "Transportation Makes America Work" (TMAW) initiative, has been designed to provide strategies to help private citizens, legislators, organizations and businesses successfully grow transportation infrastructure investment at the state and local levels through the legislative and ballot initiative processes. In short, it's a place where we can go to fi nd out what works – and what doesn't – without reinventing the wheel to create successful campaigns and fi nd research for sample political and communications tools. "Our main goal was to put in one place – and promote the sharing of – current strategies, sample political and communications tools, legislative and ballot initiative language and information on where to obtain professional campaign advice, research and help," says Doug Black, ARTBA 2014 Chairman and COO of Oldcastle Materials. Nearly one-half of U.S. public investment in transportation comes from state and local governments. Now, with so much riding on states to fi nance infrastructure improvements, Black says it's not surprising that in 2013, nine states considered transportation funding initiatives. This year, there are at least 19. The site features 39 detailed case studies of recent transportation funding campaigns – both successful and unsuccessful – in 28 states. There is also an overview of the various funding and fi nancing mechanisms proposed and TV radio and print advertisements, polling data and media strategies being used in the various campaigns, ongoing webinars about transportation investment, case studies and best practices. To tie it all together, ARTBA is holding the inaugural "National Workshop for State & Local Transportation Advocates" on July 16 in Washington, D.C. I applaud ARTBA for creating this resource. We are all trying to come up with a solution to the looming transportation infrastructure crisis. We need to band together. If we keep coming up with ideas separately but don't have a good way to share strategies that work – and those that don't – we'll just keep spinning our wheels. It's time for us to take in the driver's seat, put everything in gear and learn from what we already know to help each other bring our transportation system not only up to speed but to move it forward and continue to reach new milestones of improvement. Y by Tina Grady Barbaccia, Editor-At-Large tinabarbaccia@gmail.com Better Roads May 2014 3 Moving Forward in Transportation Advocacy Editorial Editor-At-Large: Tina Grady Barbaccia Editorial Director: Marcia Gruver Doyle Online Editor: Wayne Grayson Online Managing Editor: Amanda Bayhi Production Editor: Lauren Heartsill Dowdle Editor Emeritus: Kirk Landers Truck Editor: Jack Roberts Construction Editors: Tom Jackson, Tom Kuennen, Dan Brown editorial@betterroads.com Design & Production Art Director: Sandy Turner, Jr. Production Designer: Timothy Smith Advertising Production Manager: Linda Hapner production@betterroads.com Construction Media Senior VP of Market Development, Construction Media: Dan Tidwell VP of Sales, Construction Media: Joe Donald sales@constructionmedia.com Corporate Chairman/CEO: Mike Reilly President: Brent Reilly Chief Process Offi cer: Shane Elmore Chief Administration Offi cer: David Wright Senior Vice President, Sales: Scott Miller Senior Vice President, Editorial and Research: Linda Longton Vice President of Events: Alan Sims Vice President, Audience Development: Stacy McCants Vice President, Digital Services: Nick Reid Director of Marketing: Julie Arsenault 3200 Rice Mine Road NE Tuscaloosa, AL 35406 800-633-5953 randallreilly.com For change of address and other subscription inquiries, please contact: betterroads@halldata.com Better Roads TM magazine, (ISSN 0006-0208) founded in 1931 by Alden F. Perrin, is published monthly by Randall-Reilly Publishing Company, LLC. © 2014. Executive and Administrative offices, 3200 Rice Mine Rd. N.E., Tuscaloosa, AL 35406. Qualified subscriptions solicited exclusively from governmental road agencies, contractors, consultants, research organiza- tions, and equipment and materials suppliers. Single copy price $5.00 in U.S. and Canada. Subscription rate for individuals qualified in U.S. and Canada $24.95. Foreign $105.00. Special group rates to companies quali- fied in quantities over five names. We assume no responsibility for the va- lidity of claims of manufacturers in any advertisement or editorial product information or literature offered by them. Publisher reserves the right to refuse non-qualified subscriptions. Periodical circulation postage paid at Tuscaloosa, Alabama and additional entries. All rights reserved. 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