Better Roads

September 2014

Better Roads Digital Magazine

Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/376195

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 20 of 35

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

Articles in this issue

Links on this page

Archives of this issue

view archives of Better Roads - September 2014