Update: SAFETEA-LU Reauthorization
The federal highway and transit programs legislation – the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act, A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) – expired on September 30, 2009 and has been operating on a series of short-term extensions since. With the passage of the HIRE Act, current law was extended through December 31, 2010. As part of legislation, $19.6 billion in general funds were transferred to the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) to provide solvency through early to mid 2011. While this gives states and contracts funding certainty through the end of the calendar year, Congress must make a multi-year reauthorization bill a priority..read more.
- TAKE ACTION: Tell your members of Congress we need a long-term surface transportation reauthorization bill
- Read the Chamber's policy statement on SAFETEA-LU reauthorization
Infrastructure Index Project
The Chamber's groundbreaking Infrastructure Index Project is creating tools - indexes - to measure the performance of the nation's transportation, energy, broadband, and water systems over time from the business community's perspective. These indexes will be correlated to U.S economic performance. We need your input to make this project a success...read more.
- Learn how your organization can be involved
- Read the executive summary of the Initiation Phase Report
Event Series: Rebuild America with an Infrastructure Bank
Let's Rebuild America, in partnership with the National Chamber Foundation, are hosting a five-part event series examining the key questions surrounding the creation of an infrastructure bank.
"Let's Rebuild America's Infrastructure" Video
To raise the profile of the challenges facing the nation infrastructure and to make the case for action, the Chamber created the "Let's Rebuild America's Infrastructure" /lra/video-toolkitvideo.
- Click here to watch the video and find tools to help get the word about this critical issue.
2010 America's Transportation Awards
The Chamber is pleased to be a co-sponsor of the http://www.americastransportationaward.org/Default.aspx2010 America's Transportation Awards competition for the third year in a row. The awards recognize great transportation projects that have made a real difference to the people and businesses in their communities. Transportation is one of the fundamental building blocks on which our society rests, and this competition recognizes the best of the best. Regional winners are eligible for the final round of the competition, in which the Top Ten projects vie for the People's Choice Award and the Grand Prize.
The projects are judged by a panel of experts and compete in four categories: "On Time," "Under Budget," "Innovative Management," and "Best Recovery Act Project."
Applications are now being accepted. http://www.americastransportationaward.org/SubmitNomination.aspxClick here to submit a project. The deadline is Monday, May 10, 2010.
Chamber Members Discuss Barriers to Building Infrastructure Projects
LRA sponsored the "Removing Obstacles to Getting Concrete and Steel in the Ground" – a national town hall meeting session at the Western Business Roundtables' 2010 Business Summit of the West in January. Representatives from American Water, Cape Wind, CTIA, and HNTB, discussed the obstacles -- and how to lift them -- to getting a wide variety of energy, transportation, telecommunications, and water infrastructure projects built across the United States.
One of the three goals of the Let's Rebuild America (LRA) initiative is to "remove and prevent obstacles to rebuilding America." Last year, the Chamber launched the Project No Project campaign, which features interactive website highlighting the vast number of energy projects that have been delayed or stopped due to opposition by environmental and activist groups, including projects considered "green energy."
Policy Recommendations
Read the Chamber's infrastructure policy recommendations to Congress and the administration:
Infrastructure Resources
Get Involved
Sign up to receive more information about the Let's Rebuild America initiative.
Follow the Chamber's Director of Transportation Infrastructure Janet Kavinoky on Twitter:
The State of American Business 2010
Latest Infrastructure Blog Posts
Mission
Through the Let's Rebuild America initiative, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce advocates for the need to maintain, modernize, and expand our nation's infrastructure. This initiative focuses on driving public awareness, expanding research efforts, and building strong political action toward three key goals:
- Getting the most bang for the buck out of each investment individually, and all investments collectively
- Removing and preventing obstacles to rebuilding America
- Increasing public and private investment levels
