The Road Connection continues its nine-month, non-partisan, grassroots campaign across the United States to talk about the importance of a long-term highway bill. Support for the cause was evident in Memphis at the 2012 National Pavement Expo.
The Road Connection team had an opportunity to talk with contractors, business owners, industry experts, and the media about the importance of a federal highway bill. Their message was well received at the Cook Convention Center, where the National Pavement Expo was held from February 15-18.
As part of their booth setup at trade shows, The Road Connection kiosk offers a feature where those interested in contacting their Congressional members can quickly and easily log on to The Road Connection website, and send letters to their specific Congressional members to alert them to the fact that legislation for a long-term federal highway bill is an important issue. Over 200 letters were sent to U.S. lawmakers from the National Pavement Expo, making it a huge success for The Road Connection campaign.
Members of The Road Connection had a chance to swap interesting stories with people in the road construction industry. One particular attendee, who preferred to remain anonymous, shared some eye-opening information with The Road Connection team. He said that there are towns in Mississippi that have absolutely no funding for roads, and they are actually ripping up paved roadways and going back to dirt roads to make them travelable. Curt Peterka, one of the drivers of the Road Connection truck responded, “Stories like these make our cause worthwhile. Hopefully we can make a real difference for this town in Mississippi and others like it across the United States,” he said.
The next stop for The Road Connection truck is the Georgia Crushed Stone tradeshow, in Atlanta, GA. Kevin Lentz, one of the key players on The Road Connection team will be speaking during the General Assembly on February 22nd, educating attendees about the benefits of a long-term highway bill. The Road Connection booth will be located adjacent to the registration area, where people will be able to learn about the campaign and send letters to Congress from the Road Connection kiosk.
For more information on The Road Connection, visit www.theroadconnection.org. To follow the campaign’s progress, visit www.facebook.com/theroadconnection or www.twitter.com/road_connection.
