President Barack Obama issued an executive order Tuesday that gives federal agencies 120 days to develop and submit to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs a preliminary plan for periodically reviewing significant regulations. The reviews are "to determine whether any such regulations should be modified, streamlined, expanded, or repealed so as to make the agency's regulatory program more effective or less burdensome in achieving the regulatory objectives."

"States face major problems with both the myriad environmental reviews required and a complex array of regulations ranging from stormwater to right-of-way acquisition," said John Horsley, AASHTO executive director. "The president's executive order looks like a great opportunity to ask for changes that could accelerate project delivery."

State transportation departments have been working with Federal Highway Administrator Victor Mendez during the past eight months on an effort to streamline federal regulations that slow down completion of highway projects. Mendez unveiled the "Every Day Counts" initiative last May at the AASHTO Spring Meeting in Natchez, Mississippi. (see May 28 AASHTO Journal story)

FHWA unveiled a website for its Every Day Counts initiative in September. (see Sept. 17 AASHTO Journal story) FHWA and AASHTO have been holding "innovation summits" around the country to gain state DOT input on how to streamline federal regulations so that highway projects can be designed and constructed faster. (see Nov. 12 AASHTO Journal story)

Obama's executive order is available at bit.ly/EO011811.