Infrastructure

Modern transportation infrastructure is a critical building block to ensure that the US economy is in a position for long term growth and prosperity.

The Senate Environment and Public Work Committee’s six-year transportation proposal would provide about $43 billion a year of federal highway funding.

Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., introduced legislation that would create a national infrastructure bank that could provide direct loans and loan guarantees to facilitate infrastructure projects of regional or national significance. The bill would also increase the national volume cap for tax-exempt private-activity bonds for qualified highway or surface freight transfer facilities to $16 billion from $15 billion.

Two congressmen are urging House leaders to bring the pending transportation bills up for a vote and deem the one with the most votes as having passed the chamber under a “Queen of the Hill” rule.

A gasoline tax increase is not going to be the revenue solution for a multiyear highway bill, Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, said Thursday.

The chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee has ruled out raising the federal gas tax to support a multiyear transportation funding bills and says another short-term fix for the Highway Trust Fund is inevitable.

Senate Democrats said they want progress on a highway bill before the current short-term fix expires July 31.

House Democrats seek Republican support for multiyear highway bill in exchange for passage of multinational trade pact.

This week to see first House and Senate committee hearings in five years on sustainable options for the Highway Trust Fund.

A coalition of environmental groups wants the Federal Highway Administration to withdraw its support for the controversial Illiana Corridor toll road.

Sponsors say a newly introduced measure to slash the federal gasoline tax would give the states flexibility in transportation funding.

A federal judge denied requests by two Florida counties seeking to block the issuance of $1.75 billion in private activity bonds for a private passenger train project.

Rep. Richard Neal, D-Mass., said he would like to see a revival of the Build America Bond program included in a long-term highway bill.

Focus on a controversial, stand-still federal transportation appropriations bill shifts to the Senate after narrow House passage.

House Democrats and a conservation think tank line up to oppose a transportation appropriations bill that freezes highway funding.

A Florida attorney who says his property will be devalued by a private passenger train wants to intervene in a federal lawsuit challenging tax-exempt financing for the project.

Maryland wants to investigate the feasibility of a magnetic levitation train between Baltimore and Washington.

Virginia will decide in November whether to proceed with $3 billion toll lane project as P3 or use conventional financing.

The continuing series of short-term road funding fixes is harming small businesses, owners and advocates say.

With more than one-third of New York's bridges listed in need of repair, U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand,D-N.Y., is proposing a bill that would allow states the authority to use more federal funds for local bridge improvement projects.