Effort to Build Support for New Federal Highway and Transit Bill Begins in Des Moines, Drivers Asked to Tell Congress to Help
A new national effort to push for passage of the long–delayed bill that provides federal funds to fix aging roads and unsafe bridges and improve transit services launched today in Iowa with the unveiling of new bus, print and radio advertisements in Des Moines. The effort, which will cover dozens of states during the coming weeks, is designed to educate the public about why passing a federal transportation bill is essential to improving road conditions in states like Iowa.
“The reality is our communities can’t thrive and our businesses can’t grow if they are saddled with potholes and unsafe bridges,†said Robert Cramer, president of the Associated General Contractors of Iowa. Cramer represented the Americans for Transportation Mobility and the Transportation Construction Coalition, the two groups co–sponsoring the campaign, during today’s event. “The best route to a better transportation system for our country lies in getting Congress to do its job and pass the months–late highway and transit bill.â€
Cramer said that aging and under–capacity roads cost the U.S. economy over $80 billion annually and force drivers to waste over 2.8 billion gallons of fuel each year. He noted that nearly 80 percent of Iowa's highway budget comes from the federal government. Anyone who wants better roads, safer bridges, less traffic or better transit services should contact their local member of Congress and ask them to pass a new six–year surface transportation bill, Cramer added. He noted that the multi–year bill is needed so state transportation officials can plan major highway and bridge improvement projects.
The last surface transportation bill expired on Sept. 30, 2009, and since then Congress has passed a series of short–term measures to ensure states continue to receive federal transportation funds. Cramer noted that those short–term “patches†fail to address shortfalls in federal highway funding caused by declining gas tax receipts since Americans increasingly are driving fuel efficient cars.
The effort, which is being backed by a range of business groups including the Americans for Transportation Mobility, U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Transportation Construction Coalition, will include bus and radio advertisements in Des Moines, as well as print advertisements in Des Moines, Iowa City, Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Dubuque and Waterloo. For more information about the state of the nation’s highways and transit systems, or about the campaign for a new surface transportation bill, please visit . .
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