ATSSA commends release of highway bill principles; awaits details on plan

House Democrats propose $760 billion funding for infrastructure investments

On Wednesday, House Democrats unveiled a $760 billion proposal to fund infrastructure investments over the next five years. ATSSA commends moving the process of highway bill reauthorization forward and looks forward to working with the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on crafting the details of the plan on a bi-partisan basis.

The framework outlines major investments, including those in surface transportation, rail and transit systems, airports, ports and harbors, wastewater and drinking water infrastructure, brownfields, and broadband. Additionally, this proposal is estimated to create more than 10 million jobs.

The proposal calls for investments in roadway safety infrastructure through the Highway Safety Improvement Program, a focus on rural road safety, ensuring that construction work zones are part of the conversation when discussing connected and automated vehicles, and creating a national Vision Zero strategy, among other safety priorities.

“ATSSA supports moving the process forward so that we can enact a long-term, fully-funded, safety-focused highway bill into law. We look forward to working with the committee on a bi-partisan basis to get this critical legislation finalized so that we can continue the work of saving the lives of thousands of men, women and children on U.S. roadways,” ATSSA Vice President of Government Relations Nathan Smith said.

The framework, which is not a formal bill at this stage, does not yet spell out proposals for how to pay for the investments in infrastructure like highways, rail, airports and expanding broadband access. Congress typically enacts this type of plan every four or five years.