Better Roads September 2014 19
by Brian Ethridge
I
t felt like an eternity went by before Congress passed a bill to fund the Highway Trust Fund through May 2015. Unfor-
tunately, for as long as it took, nobody ended up happy with the outcome. Congress had months to work out a long-
term plan that ultimately solves nothing. Below is a timeline of events that took place leading up to the patch. (For an
electronic version of this timeline, go to betterroads.com/highway-trust-fund-2014-timeline-of-events.)
Highway Trust Fund 2014:
Timeline of Events
February 2014
It was clearly early in the year that the HTF was running out
much quicker than originally thought. Transportation Secre-
tary Anthony Foxx warned Congress in February (betterroads.
com/foxx-htf) that the HTF would begin bouncing checks in
August is a new deal wasn't agreed upon.
"A number of commentators have expressed concern about
what happens to transportation spending when the Highway
Trust Fund runs out in fi scal year 2015," Foxx said at the time.
"Little do some of them know that the Highway Trust Fund is
on track to bounce checks before fi scal year 2015—as soon as
this August."
March 2014
States began to cut back on construction projects once it
appeared the HTF could shortfall as early as July (betterroads.
com/u-s-dot-highway-trust-fund-could-shortfall-as-early-as-late-july).
Every day it seemed like more and more road projects were
getting put on the back burner, which was causing unsafe
transportation conditions.
Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), chairman of the Senate
Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, was aware
of the problem (betterroads.com/boxer-on-highway-trust-fund-we-are-
running-out-of-time-for-action).
"Make no mistake – we are running out of time for ac-
tion," Boxer said. "Already states are cutting back on the
construction projects they planned to go forward with this
spring, and this trend will only continue to get worse as we
get closer to insolvency,"
April 2014
As part of President Obama's four-year, $302 billion transpor-
tation reauthorization proposal (betterroads.com/obama-to-present-
congress-with-proposed-transportation-reauthorization-bill), Foxx sent a
long-term transportation bill to Congress. The bill was notably
dubbed the GROW AMERICA Act (dot.gov/grow-america),
The DOT noted that the bill includes the following proposals:
Address the shortfall in the Highway Trust Fund and providing
Here's a look at the Highway Trust Fund that is notoriously in danger of
going in the red. For now, there's a short-term fix to keep it afloat.
Special Report: Funding
