Trucks would not be double-charged for miles traveled on the Interstate; rather, those miles would be recorded through the Federal Interstate User Fee program.

SAY WHAT?

“The credit, the saving, and convenience of this country all require that our great roads leading from one public place to another should be straightened and established by law … To me these things seem indispensably necessary.”

– General George Washington, 1785, realizing America’s core need to build and care for a superior road system

Fed Grants Boost State DOT Budgets

Washington has handed out $417.3 million in grants for state highway projects – seriously less than the $13 billion states had asked for in their wish lists.

Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood says the grants will fund work ranging from Interstate maintenance to research into innovative bridge materials and construction methods.

“The demand from the states for these funds shows just how critical the need is for infrastructure investment,” he says. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) invited states to apply in June for federal funding from 14 discretionary grant programs and received more than 1,800 applications, totaling nearly $13 billion, which is more than 30 times the funds available.

“The list of state highway projects in need of financial help grows almost daily,” says FHWA Administrator Victor Mendez. “At a time when states are facing serious budgetary constraints, these grants will help fill a critical need. Investments like these are immediate and long-lasting and will help create jobs.”

And what did your state get? See the state-by-state list at fhwa.dot.gov/pressroom/fhwa1137/

And the Awards Go To….

The American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE) has honored Randall-Reilly Publishing Co., parent company of Better Roads, with three national editorial awards, 12 regional editorial awards and three design awards in the organization’s Azbee Awards of Excellence.

This is a peer-judged contest that honors the top Business-to-Business publications.

Better Roads won four awards — two gold, one silver and one bronze.

Mud Dud

EPA has got a little mud on its tires.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has decided to back off from proposed “numeric turbidity limits” on the amount of dirt the agency will allow in stormwater from construction sites.

We might call dirt in water plain ol’ mud.

The chief executive officer of the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC), Stephen E. Sandherr, reacted by saying that, “The fact that the EPA recognizes the serious flaws in the data supporting its efforts to impose a rigid, one-size-fits all, limit on the amount of dirt in rainwater leaving construction sites is encouraging. Indeed, contractors are already required to take significant measures to ensure that dirt – clean, uncontaminated dirt – does not escape from project sites. Setting a specific limit on how much dirt should be in rainwater will only force contractors to spend billions more on new dirt-busting measures that may not work, expose firms to costly lawsuits from outside groups and put them at risk of receiving tens of thousands in daily fines.”

But Sandherr is not entirely happy with the agency’s withdrawal, because he notes, “EPA is only seeking to delay imposing its new mud rule, instead of abandoning the idea all together.”