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Several National newspapers over the past few weeks have noted the recent decline in gasoline prices and suggested that now is the time to raise the federal gasoline tax to address transportation infrastructure needs. On October 19 USA Today join the chorus and said raise the gas tax now while its painless and will not be noticed by commuters. The paper pointed out that since the gas tax was last increased in 1993, it has lost half its purchasing value.  Bloomberg  and the Washington Post also chimed in endorsing the increase. The Post said that Congress should take this action during the lame duck session following a the Midterm elections on November 4 and not wait until the current patch runs out in May. Several US Senators including Boxer (D-Cal), Corker (R-Tenn) and Carper (D-Del) have been making public statements calling for Congress to provide the revenue to address a long term transportation reauthorization in the lame duck.

��ѻ��ý was invited to participate in a stakeholders meeting this week called by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to look into questions about the effectiveness of the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program. The meeting was held in response to a DOT Office of Inspector General’s (OIG) report critical of the success of the program over its 30-year history. The OIG report said state DOTs, which are charged with administering the program, are focused on certifying firms for inclusion in the program, but not their success once in the program. OIG noted that only a small percentage of the certified firms actually participate and that those few firms have been in the program for ten years or more. DOT was interested in hearing from stakeholders about how this outcome could be improved.

Visit HardhatsforHighways.org to Contact Your Elected Officials Following the midterm elections on Nov. 4, the 113th Congress will reconvene to take final action on a number of legislative items that must be addressed before its adjournment. While Congress passed an extension providing funding until May 2015 for the federal transportation programs, ��ѻ��ý is pushing for transportation authorization and funding to be one of the priorities that will be taken up in the lame duck session.

Book your Hotel – Conference Rate Expires Next Week Construction Future will be the overriding topic at the 2014 Highway & Utilities Contractors Conference on Nov. 13-15 at the Omni La Costa resort in San Diego, Calif. A variety of sessions have been organized to cover topics that will help contractors position their companies for Construction Future. Highlights include: discovering the next generation of managers; technology applications; paperless projects; industry megatrends; November election impacts; and Design-Build success stories. To learn more, book your hotel room and register, click here.

With Oct. 1 marking the beginning of fiscal year 2015, the 31-member organization Transportation Construction Coalition (TCC) urged Congress to find a way to pay for, and pass, a new long-term surface transportation measure as soon as possible.  They cautioned that failure to act would lead to another self-imposed funding crisis that would undermine vital road, highway and transit repairs.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is about to release revisions to its disadvantaged business enterprise utilization (DBE) rules. The new rules were first proposed in September 2012 and, while considered by DOT to be “minor” adjustments, they will have a significant impact on the highway construction industry. Among the changes, as proposed, prime contractors on Federal-aid highway contracts with DBE goals would have been required to submit with their bid a list of all DBE subcontractors to be used on the project, including the scope of work to be performed, the value of the subcontract and a letter from the DBE verifying these facts. In addition, if the prime contractor did not meet the contract goal, information on all quotes from both DBE and non-DBE subcontractors would have to be submitted with the bid to demonstrate “good faith efforts.” ��ѻ��ý objected vocally to these proposed changes, submitted extensive written comments for the record and held several meetings with top DOT officials to explain the real world impact of these changes if adopted. ��ѻ��ý members also responded and submitted over 100 letters on the proposal. ��ѻ��ý received an advance copy of the new rules and we are pleased to announce that the new rules drop this onerous requirement and instead will allow a 7 day window following bid submittal for the apparent low bidder to submit the list of proposed DBE utilization. This time limit will be reduced to 5 days in January 2017.��ѻ��ý’s comments also addressed numerous other proposed rule changes and many of ��ѻ��ý’s suggestions were adopted. The new rules adopted ��ѻ��ý’s comment that “race neutral” activities that can be counted by states to meet their annual DBE goals should include participation by DBEs that are awarded contracts as prime contractors, and DBE subcontractors that are awarded subcontracts on contracts that do not have a goal. ��ѻ��ý also recommended that states be allowed to use a list of DBE businesses that have actually participated or submitted bids on contracts as a basis for establishing annual goals. The final rules have been presented to Secretary Foxx for his signature which is expected and then will be published in the Federal Register within the next two weeks. Contractors can expect to see these new requirements show up in bid solicitations in the coming months. ��ѻ��ý will provide a detailed explanation of the rules when they are formally released.

The ��ѻ��ý supported Americans for Transportation Mobility (ATM) Coalition is a collaborative effort by business, labor, transportation stakeholders and concerned citizens to advocate for improved and increased federal investment in the nation’s transportation system. As lawmakers head back to their districts before the midterm elections, ATM launched a regionally focused, multi-platform ad campaign urging Congress to develop a long-term solution to the Highway Trust Fund insolvency.

��ѻ��ý will provide free highway work zone safety training classes next year thanks to a federal safety grant the association earned. ��ѻ��ý was awarded a Susan Harwood Training Grant from the U.S. Department of Labor to offer the safety training classes designed to prevent injuries among highway, street and bridge construction workers. The highway work zone safety program will be offered in eight different locations beginning in January 2015.

��ѻ��ý of America will provide highway work zone safety training classes next year thanks to a federal safety grant the association earned. The association will use the $135,000 Susan Harwood Training Grant from the U.S. Department of Labor to offer the safety training classes designed to prevent injuries among highway, street and bridge construction workers, officials said.

This morning, the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, along with the Railroad Subcommittee, introduced the Passenger Rail Reform and Investment Act of 2014 (PRRIA).  This bipartisan legislation is scheduled to be considered by the full committee on Wednesday, Sept. 17.