New ACT Website Launched

You will see some big changes when you visit actweb.org. The old static, Avectra-based site is gone, replaced by a dynamic Wordpress-based site.

Here is a quick tour of key changes.

Mobile screen view of new website.

• Member login: This is in the dropdown menu under 'Membership'.
• Dynamic content: The new site is much more user friendly and will feature added content for 2015.
• Responsive design: The site is now mobile device-friendly.
• Better graphics: Visual appearance is greatly improved.
• Public policy: We devoted a special section to advocacy/public policy issues and resources.
• Chapters & councils: While these pages contain basic contact info right now, ACT staff will be reaching out to chapter and council leaders to collaborate on adding custom content.
• Social media: Easy access to ACT's Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook pages is a click away via the icons at the top right of the screen.

USDOT Releases Proposed 'Conditions' Performance Measure

On January 2, the U.S. Department of Transportation released a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to establish performance measures related to assessing the condition of bridges on the National Highway System (NHS), pavements on the Interstate, and pavements on the non-Interstate NHS, as required by the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21). A copy of the NPRM may be found here NPRM Road & Bridge Conditions

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) announced that it will host a webinar at two separate times to provide information on the NPRM. Each webinar will provide the same content. Details and a link to register for the webinar are below. We recommend registering as soon as possible as space is limited.

The NPRM opened for comments on January 5. Comments to the docket (FHWA-2013-0053) may be submitted via regulations.gov. The comment period closes April 6, 2015.

Information & Links to FHWA Webinar:

**TODAY** Thursday, 1/8/2015, 3:00-5:00 EST: Register

Thursday, 1/22/2015, 2:00-4:00 EST: Register

About Performance Measures:

MAP-21 created a new section in law (Title 23 Section 150) which serves as a declaration of Federal interest in transportation and outlines national goals and performance targets. The Department of Transportation was tasked with outlining metrics and reporting requirements for twelve topics. By law, MAP-21 was required to finalize rules establishing these performance metrics by January 2014. States and MPOs were required by MAP-21 to begin the process of implementing performance planning by January 2015.

However, as of today, DOT has only released the NPRM for safety issues. This announcement marks the second series of proposed metrics. Still outstanding is an NPRM for system performance, freight, and the Congestion Mitigation & Air Quality program.

It should be noted that none of the rules or metrics have been finalized. For more information, check out the link to the primer here: Performance Measures Primer - MAP-21. 

For more information and insight, contact ACT Government Relations Specialist Jason Pavluchuk at pavluchuk@actweb.org, or 202.285.6414; Twitter: @Jpavllc and @ACTNational.

ACT Welcomes 15 Leadership Academy Participants

The largest Leadership Academy class in years is getting underway, as 15 participants prepare for their first session, which will be held next month in Tampa, Florida. Brian Shaw, CAPP (Stanford University) is again coordinating the program, with the assistance of Penny Menton (UCLA) and other expert faculty.

2015 participants include:

How to Pay for a Transportation Bill (Still) A Hot Topic

With Republicans taking over both the House and Senate, some Republican leaders sending mixed messages on how to fund a transportation bill. House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-PA) said recently a gas tax increase or a vehicle miles tax was off the table.

"The president has ruled out a gas tax, I don't think there's a will in Congress, and the American people don't want it," said Shuster. He has instead suggested that repatriation of corporate taxes could help pay for a new bill.

Meanwhile, Senator John Thune (R-SD) said on a weekend talk show that he preferred not to raise any tax, but he was open to increasing the gas tax in order to pay for a transportation bill. Senator Thune will chair the Senate Commerce Committee in the 114th Congress. That committee will play a significant role in the surface transportation bill.

Both Chairman Shuster and Chairman Thune expressed optimism that a bill would get done, citing bipartisan support for a transportation bill. However, despite those bipartisan feelings, Congress will need to generate $100 billion to simply reauthorize current spending for the next six years. The $100 billion question will continue to be asked, as Congress has until this spring before the existing funding dries up. 

For more information and insight, contact ACT Government Relations Specialist Jason Pavluchuk at pavluchuk@actweb.org, or 202.285.6414; Twitter: @Jpavllc and @ACTNational.