House Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee Chairman John Mica (R-Fla.) used this week’s Congressional recess to hold more than a dozen listening sessions around the country to gather information he can use in writing the highway and transit reauthorization legislation. AGC members participated in many of the hearings and listening sessions addressing the need for a focused, streamlined program that delivers improvements that are core to advancing national transportation interests.
The listening sessions were held largely in the districts of freshman members of the T&I Committee and included bipartisan participation. At two hearings in California, Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairman Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) also took part.
Transportation Committee Chairman Mica was primarily interested in hearing about the following ways to reform the program:
- Ideas on how to streamline the process;
- Programs that should be eliminated;
- Ideas for improving flexibility for states and localities; and
- Ideas for improving public-private partnerships.