Tuesday, 24 June 2008
Faster! Better! Safer!
« Gone with the Wind (and Rain) | Main | The Mayors and Infrastructure »On this blog we talk a lot about the things ASCE is doing to help improve the nation’s infrastructure, but we would be remiss if we didn’t give a hand to our partners in this task every once in a while. ASCE’s President David G. Mongan, P.E., F.ASCE and Executive Director Patrick J. Natale, P.E., F.ASCE had the honor this week to represent and lend ASCE’s support to a new initiative to increase federal funding for transportation infrastructure.
Kicking off this week is the Americans for Transportation Mobility Coalition’s (ATM) new campaign: Faster, Better, Safer. Led by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the ATM Coalition brings together a diverse group of businesses, labor, and non-profit groups to support increased investment in transportation infrastructure. By launching the new campaign, the coalition will demonstrate to policy-makers in Washington the groundswell of public support for repairing, rebuilding, and revitalizing America’s aging transportation system.
As the nation faces an uncertain economic outlook, the Faster, Better, Safer campaign makes the argument that poor infrastructure isn’t just a pain, or a worst dangerous, but it’s costing us a lot of time and money. Recent studies show that increased investment in transportation not only stimulates the economy and creates jobs, but also reduces the human costs imposed by congestion, pollution, and needless highway fatalities. In 2005, traffic congestion alone drained $78 billion from the economy, added 4.2 billon hours to commutes, and wasted 2.9 billion gallons of gasoline.
By bringing the ATM coalition’s diverse membership together, it shows that improving the nation’s transportation infrastructure is a national problem and must be a national priority – and not just left for cash-strapped state and local governments to deal with.
Timed by no coincidence to coincide with the upcoming authorization of federal highway and public transportation programs, the Faster, Better, Safer Campaign will urge Congress and the next Administration to reform transportation programs and maximize federal investment in roads, bridges, and public transit. The Coalition is challenging presidential and congressional candidates to make transportation policy a key issue in their campaigns.
As we move into the last, exciting months of the campaign season, let’s not forget the nation’s transportation infrastructure – and definitely don’t let your candidates forget either. If you’re local candidates aren’t talking about the nation’s infrastructure crisis – it’s time to remind them!
Need more information? Check out the campaign website http://www.fasterbettersafer.org for briefing materials.