The American Highway Users Alliance (AHUA) is urging federal lawmakers to issue a one-year extension of the FAST Act to ensure projects and safety improvements continue through the construction season.
The AHUA forwarded correspondence to House and Senate leaders, encouraging the action and expressing support for the Senate EPW Committee and the House T&I Committee decision to advance the transportation reauthorization process via congressional bills.
“Due to the limited days remaining in the legislative calendar, the Highway Users urges Congress to pass a one-year extension of current surface transportation law with increased highway investment funding to ensure important road and bridge projects can continue into the new fiscal year and prevent further disruption to America’s economic recovery,” AHUA President & CEO Laura Perrotta wrote.
The AHUA is also advocating increased highway investment under planned funding levels in transportation reauthorization bills pursued by the Senate and House, while also supporting a multi-year highway bill; efforts to ensure Highway Trust Fund (HTF) solvency and inclusion of $37 billion in relief to State Department’s of Transportation to replace the decline in state fuel taxes and other revenue used for highways.
“Additionally, it is vitally important that the federal Highway Trust Fund (HTF) retain solvency through the extension at a minimum,” Perrotta said. “The Highway Users urges Congress to transfer funds to the HTF to keep it whole at least through the determined extension length. Due to the pandemic’s effects on the economy and compliance with state and local stay-at-home orders, Americans have not been buying the fuel and generating the truck tax revenue they typically would over this period of time, directly curbing receipts to the HTF.”