Equipment World Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/652983
W hen President Obama signed the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) act into law in December, the highway industry did more than a little back slapping. After so many years of being a legislative afterthought, highways finally received 5-year funding. And contractors have responded to the good news: Some paver manufacturers are now reporting that every machine going out their roll-up doors has a "sold" sign on it. But, the victory dance should not go into confetti-filled disco-ball mode. FAST funding gets us down the road, but not very far. And it did nothing – nothing – to raise the gas tax, a funding mechanism this industry has relied on in some form since 1932. Get used to it, say Equipment World edi- tors Tom Jackson and Chris Hill in our cover story, Highways 2.0. Writing the main story, Jackson says the gas tax as a main-source funding mechanism for U.S. highways is dead. There are too many pressures – includ- ing wide-spread, anti-tax-of-any-kind senti- ment – for "raise the gas tax" to continue to be the universal industry rallying cry. But, that's just a small part of what could be ahead. As we've reported over the past year, technology will not only drive how we think of roads and bridges, but how we build them. This is especially true in urban areas that are choked with traffic. While those working in rural regions will not likely see the full impact of what we're positing here, the machines they buy in the future will likely be influenced by the needs of the criti- cal urban markets. We may see manufactur- ers offering fully-tricked out "urban" or "city" machines, which in addition to concrete or asphalt, are capable of installing sensors and other technology. The more basic models in a manufacturer's lineup will be designed for less-urban areas, perhaps mirroring the premium/value offerings that have emerged in the past few years. In February, I took my first Uber ride while in Las Vegas. I've since taken three more rides in two different cities. The differences between taking an Uber and a taxi are profound, and if given a choice, I will never choose a taxi over Uber again. I experienced fast responses, clean cars and professional drivers. I bring up Uber because this technology- based company solved several problems at once: long waits for taxis, dubiously clean cars, vehicles that hadn't had a PM check in several years and drivers with only the rudi- ments of English. (In fact, one of my Uber drivers was from Romania and we had a great conversation.) Uber is one of the on-the-cusp technolo- gies that is changing how we consume, if you will, our roads. With the rise of autonomous cars, perhaps Uber won't need drivers at all (although I would miss talking to them). Along with autonomous cars come crash avoidance systems and possibly the ability to determine optimum traffic flows; changes that may mean significant transformations in what types of roads we build and the materials with which we build them. We feel that instead of the Chinese-curse variety, these "interesting times" are rife with opportunity for contractors…as long as they're willing to do a little bob and weave. EquipmentWorld.com | March 2016 9 on record | by Marcia Gruver Doyle MGruver@randallreilly.com A future beyond FAST