AASHTO Journal - Tue June 05, 2018
Tariffs Threaten to Push Highway Project Costs Higher
The Trump administration's long-threatened imposition of tariffs on steel and aluminum imported from Canada, Mexico and the European Union went into effect at midnight on May 31 – a move that is hiking construction costs for state departments of transportation across the country, especially for steel-intensive bridge projects, while also potentially forcing a redirection of funds away from future endeavors....
The Associated Press - Thu May 31, 2018
United States to Push Steel, Aluminum Tariffs on EU, Canada, Mexico
WASHINGTON -- The Trump administration announced May 31, it will impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Europe, Mexico and Canada after failing to win concessions from the American allies. The decision could provoke retaliatory penalties and exacerbate trans-Atlantic and North American trade tensions....
PennDOT - Fri May 25, 2018
Gov. Wolf Announces Funding Increase for Municipal Projects
Gov. Tom Wolf announced the distribution of nearly $489 million in 2018 liquid fuels payments to municipalities through the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) to help them maintain local roads and bridges....
Mon May 14, 2018
Interstate 95 Coalition Kicks Off Three-Month Pilot Study
As part of its effort to explore replacing the current fuel tax with a mileage-based user fee or “MBUF” to generate highway funding the I-95 Corridor Coalition, with the Delaware Department of Transportation as the lead, is launching a three-month pilot study starting in May....
Melinda DeSlatte - ASSOCIATED PRESS - Mon April 09, 2018
Local Gas Tax Idea Rebuffed by La. House Tax Committee
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) Louisiana parishes and municipalities won't be able to raise their own gas taxes to pay for road and bridge work. Lawmakers on the House tax committee spurned a proposed constitutional amendment March 26 that would have removed an existing ban keeping local governments from levying taxes on motor fuels....
DeForrest Ballou – Capital News Service - Mon March 05, 2018
Virginia Senate OKs Raising Fuel Tax for I-81 Improvements
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) An additional fuel tax of 2.1 percent would be levied in western Virginia under a Senate bill approved Feb. 13 creating a regional transportation fund to help pay for improvements on busy Interstate 81....
Fri February 09, 2018
Gas Tax Bolsters State's Road Maintenance Funding
A higher gas tax that took effect July 1, 2017 has brought in millions of dollars to help pay for much-needed improvements to South Carolina's roads and bridges. According to Christy Hall, head of the South Carolina Department of Transportation, the agency anticipates receiving around $149 million in 2018 for these projects, The State reported....
Emily Buenzle - Fri January 19, 2018
Chamber of Commerce Proposes Gas Tax to Pay for Infrastructure
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is pushing for an increased gas tax to fund America's infrastructure. Chamber President Tom Donohue suggested an increase of 25 cents to the gas tax over the next five years, but said that the group would not oppose increasing the tax all at once instead, The Hill reported....
Mon December 04, 2017
Senate Works Toward Tax Cuts But Makes No Provision to Boost Transportation Funding
The Senate took up tax-cutting legislation that makes no attempt to shore up long-term transportation funding, and which includes an "advance refunding" bond provision that would work against a debt-refinancing technique states and other government entities use to reduce their project costs....
Emily Buenzle - Thu November 30, 2017
State Governor Calls for Tax Increase to Fund Road Projects
Colorado governor John Hickenlooper has asked for a tax increase to help cover the annual $1 billion shortage in road construction and maintenance funding. According to Hickenlooper, neglecting to maintain Colorado's infrastructure will eventually lead to a slowdown in the economic growth it has been seeing, ABC 13 reported....
