The chief executive officer of the Associated General Contractors of America, Stephen E. Sandherr, issued the following statement in response to the Obama administration's release today of proposed surface transportation legislation that would provide an estimated $302 billion for highway, bridge and transit construction over a four-year period: "The administration's proposed transportation bill should accelerate debate and action on a new highway and transit bill before the current legislation expires at the end of September.

Monday, May 5, 2014 | 2:00-3:00 pm EDT | www.HardhatsforHighways.org Hardhats for Highways invites you to attend a free webinar on Monday, May 5, 2014 from 2:00-3:00 pm EDT. This webinar will discuss how you can get involved in the campaign, the tools available to help you be successful and real-life examples from a construction company on their Hardhats for Highways efforts.

Today, Highway and Transportation Division Chairman Tom Case of Granite Construction, along with division leaders, hosted United States Department of Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx on a conference call to hear the Secretary outline the administration’s soon-to-be released surface transportation reauthorization proposal.

District Work Period: April 14-25, 2014 Your Senators and Representatives are currently working in your home districts.  Set aside time to meet with them now through Friday, April 25 and discuss the importance federal highway funding has on your company and your job. Make an appointment to visit the District office closest to you. Bring this informational leave-behind and a company hardhat with the “Hardhats for Highways” decal affixed listing the number of jobs in your company that will be affected if funding is cut off. While these are the best times to visit, don’t hesitate to set up appointments at other times and visit with their staff.

August Shortfall Predicted This week, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) updated their Highway Trust Fund Ticker, where they continue to project a shortfall before the end of August.  DOT estimates that the balance will dip to $5 billion in June and could dip below $4 billion in July, possibly forcing them to delay payments to states for highway and transit projects.

April 14-25, 2014 | www.HardhatsforHighways.org Your Senators and Representatives will be back working in your home districts starting next Monday, April 14 through Friday, April 25.  It is the perfect opportunity to set up meetings to discuss the importance federal highway funding has on your company and your job. Make an appointment to visit the District office closest to you. Bring this informational leave-behind and a company hardhat with the “Hardhats for Highways” decal affixed listing the number of jobs in your company that will be affected if funding is cut off. While these are the best times to visit, don’t hesitate to set up appointments at other times and visit with their staff members.

AGC and the Transportation Construction Coalition (TCC) are seeking input on how the looming Highway Trust Fund shortfall is impacting business decisions and state transportation programs.   This survey, along with the recently launched Highways for Hardhats campaign, is part of AGC’s continued efforts to raise awareness of the impacts of Highway Trust Fund’s revenue crisis.

Today, the bipartisan leaders of the Senate Environmental & Public Works (EPW) Committee announced they reached an “agreement in principle” on a reauthorization of MAP-21.  Chairman Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), and ranking member David Vitter (R-La.) were joined at the announcement by the Transportation Subcommittee Chairman Tom Carper (D-Del.) and ranking member John Barrasso (R-Wy.), where they said they hoped to pass the bill out of committee in May. 

"Work Zone Speeding: A Costly Mistake" is the theme of this year’s National Work Zone Awareness Week (April 7–11), which is intended to highlight the dangers to construction workers and motorists when highway improvement projects are underway. AGC participated in the national event, held in Seattle, Wash. on Tuesday, April 8, hosted by the Washington State Department of Transportation, with participation from the Federal Highway Administration, AASHTO, and other national construction associations. 

June 10-11, 2014 | The Mayflower Hotel, Washington, DC AGC urges its members to participate in this year’s Transportation Construction Coalition Fly-In and bring the message to Congress that: The Time is Now: Fix the Highway Trust Fund!  With the Highway Trust Fund projected to run short of cash as early as July 2014, slowing Federal reimbursements to state DOTs for ongoing contracts and the very real potential that there will be no federal funds available for new highway construction projects starting on Oct. 1, 2014 – Congress needs to hear from you.