The Highway Materials Group — including the National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association (NSSGA), the National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA), the American Concrete Pavement Association, the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, the Portland Cement Association, and the Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute — commends the sponsors of Transportation Infrastructure Week 2014, May 12–16.
"Holding a week with events dedicated to highlighting the importance of America’s infrastructure is appropriate and timely as we rapidly approach a Highway Trust Fund fiscal cliff," says NSSGA President and CEO Mike Johnson. "We need to be having a dialogue about America’s infrastructure requirements, from funding to the vision for the future.”
According to the sponsors — the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Manufacturers, Building America’s Future, the U.S. Council on Competitiveness and the Metropolitan Policy Program at the Brookings Institution — Infrastructure Week 2014 is a full week of strategically planned high-level events and briefings, national and targeted regional media coverage, and other activities convening leading business and policy voices to articulate the national, regional, and local challenges faced in maintaining, updating, and developing new infrastructure across the United States. The outreach effort is designed to help build momentum and urgency that attract the attention of key policymakers and the larger community by “telling the story of business, labor, industry and citizens dedicated to improving America’s global competitiveness through investment in infrastructure.”
According to Johnson, the Highway Materials Group has been meeting with members of Congress over the past months, focused specifically on educating new lawmakers about the needs and financing of transportation infrastructure. All Materials Group members have activated their grassroots in the effort to move Congress to act on funding the surface transportation system and developing a comprehensive vision that will improve America’s infrastructure and move it into the 21st Century. During Infrastructure Week, they will be coordinating a “Call to Action” for all the associations’ memberships to send emails and make phone calls urging Congress to address the Highway Trust Fund crisis immediately.
In this effort to build momentum for action, the Transportation Construction Coalition (TCC), composed of 29 transportation and labor organizations, has scheduled a June 10–11 Fly-In. The third Rally for Roads is being held in conjunction with the TCC-Fly-In June 11. More information on these events is available at transportationconstructioncoalition.org and rallyforroads.org.
There is no time to spare. Congress must act to address the needs of America’s aging infrastructure, which is the foundation of the nation’s economy and interstate commerce, and supports good American jobs and the way of life Americans enjoy.
For more information on Infrastructure Week 2014, visit infrastructureweek2014.com.
