New Administration Takes Control of Washington
Barack Obama took office Jan. 20 as the nation's 44th president, vowing during his inaugural address to take quick action to help the nation's economy recover, in part by improving the nation's highways and bridges.

"The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act -- not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth," Obama said during his 18-minute speech delivered shortly after being sworn in on the U.S. Capitol's west front before an audience estimated at 1.8 million people. "We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise healthcare's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. All this we will do."

Ray LaHood, a former U.S. representative from Illinois, was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Jan. 22 to serve as Obama's transportation secretary. Other key officials in the new administration are John Porcari, deputy transportation secretary (former Maryland transportation secretary); Victor Mendez, federal highway administrator (former Arizona transportation director and AASHTO president); Gregory Nadeau, deputy federal highway administrator (former Maine deputy transportation commissioner); Peter Rogoff, federal transit administrator; Joseph Szabo, federal railroad administrator; Karen Rae, deputy federal railroad administrator (former New York deputy transportation commissioner); Randy Babbitt, federal aviation administrator; Peter Appel, research and innovative technology administrator; Anne Ferro, federal motor carrier administrator; and David Strickland, national highway traffic safety administrator.

States Put Economic Recovery Funds to Quick Use
President Barack Obama signed into law Feb. 17 a $787 billion economic recovery bill that appropriated $48 billion for transportation projects, a successful conclusion to more than a year of efforts by AASHTO and other transportation organizations that pushed for Congress to stimulate the weakened economy by putting Americans back to work at highway, bridge, transit, port, and airport construction sites around the nation. In December 2008, AASHTO released a survey documenting that states had more than 5,000 "shovel ready" projects valued at $65 billion.

The final economic recovery package provided $27.5 billion for highways and bridges, $8.4 billion for mass transit, $8 billion for high-speed rail, $1.3 billion for Amtrak, and $1.3 billion for aviation. It also created a new $1.5 billion competitive grant program for major transportation projects regardless of mode.

Bids for many projects across the nation came in well under estimates as construction companies, hard hit by the recession, scrambled for work. States immediately got thousands of projects underway. All 50 states met a June 30 deadline for obligating half of their economic recovery funds for highways and bridges. The Federal Highway Administration announced Dec. 28 that 10,000 highway and bridge projects funded by the recovery act have been approved. Two states have already obligated 100 percent of their funds, with the remaining states on track to meet the March 2, 2010, deadline. Estimates from the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee show transportation recovery projects have created about 210,000 direct jobs for American workers.

Obama Makes High-Speed Rail a National Priority
Five state transportation chief executive officers as well as AASHTO's executive director were in the audience April 16 at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building adjacent to the White House as President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, and U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood unveiled a strategic plan to guide federal investment in high-speed rail. Obama ensured that high-speed rail -- never funded before by the U.S. government -- received an $8 billion allocation in the recovery act Congress passed in February. Obama said that if the country is to move from recovery to prosperity, it must do more than simply rehabilitate existing infrastructure and add capacity to existing highways and transit lines.

States responded by submitting applications to the Federal Railroad Administration to construct 45 high-speed-rail projects worth $50 billion. Those came on top of a previous group of 214 applications received from 34 states totaling $7 billion for intercity passenger railroad corridor planning and improvements to existing service. The total amount requested ($57 billion) is more than seven times greater than the $8 billion Congress appropriated for both programs. Grant recipients are expected to be announced early next year.

National Commission on Surface Transportation Infrastructure Financing Issues Report
Warning that the Highway Trust Fund has insufficient revenue to maintain current highway and transit program levels, the National Surface Transportation Infrastructure Financing Commission called for a 10-cent-per-gallon gas-tax increase as a transition to implementation of a vehicle miles traveled tax in 2020. The commission is one of two created by Congress in the 2005 transportation act known as "SAFETEA-LU" to study the future of transportation. Both have recommended a gas-tax increase in the short term and a shift to a VMT tax longer term. The financing commission released its report "Paying Our Way: A New Framework for Transportation Finance" at a press conference Feb. 26 in Washington.

AASHTO Reports Draw Media & Congressional Attention
The association issued a series of reports this year drawing attention in the media and Congress to transportation funding needs. The first major report came out April 24. The "Bottom Line" report, released by AASHTO and the American Public Transportation Association, found that by 2015, governments at all levels will need to more than double their spending on highways and bridges to keep up with increased traffic, freight congestion, the demands of aging highways and bridges, and the growth of the nation's population. Transit spending would need to quadruple to serve increased ridership. In exchange, smoother roads, less time lost to congestion, expanded transit service, and substantial savings in vehicle owner costs are the benefits Americans can expect.

In May, AASHTO and the nonprofit transportation research organization TRIP released "Rough Roads Ahead: Fix Them Now or Pay for It Later." This report focused on how keeping the nation's highways in good repair is a daily battle against age, weather, and the wear and tear of unrelenting traffic. As a result, 33 percent of the nation's major highways are rated in poor or mediocre condition. And rough roads cost drivers hundreds of additional dollars annually in vehicle operating costs. Motorists pay an average of $400 more annually in vehicle operating costs because of accelerated vehicle deterioration, increased maintenance, additional fuel consumption, and tire wear caused by poor road conditions, the report concludes. The report states that one-third of the nation's major highways -- including interstates, other freeways, and major arterials -- are in poor or mediocre condition. Roads in urban areas, which carry 66 percent of the traffic, are in much worse shape.

Minnesota & Florida Take Top Honors in America's Transportation Awards Competition
The Minnesota Department of Transportation's I-35W Minneapolis Bridge Project was selected as the 2009 America's Transportation Awards Grand Prize winner. The Florida Department of Transportation's 95 Express Miami Project won the People's Choice Award. Awards were presented Oct. 25 at the AASHTO Annual Meeting in Palm Desert, CA. The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, AAA, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce sponsored the competition for the second year. America's Transportation Awards recognize outstanding transportation projects in three categories: On Time, On Budget, and Innovative Management. The 10 projects that scored the highest during four regional contests competed for both the Grand Prize and the People's Choice Award. More than 200,000 online votes helped decide this year's People's Choice Award winner.

From the seven North Carolina bridges replaced in 45 days to the Utah highway that reduced commuters' drive time from 42 to 16 minutes, a report released by AASHTO at its annual meeting highlights 50 projects from across the nation that demonstrate smart transportation solutions by state transportation departments. The report, "Smart Solutions: 50 Ways America Just Got Better," highlights success stories of state DOTs from entries in the 2009 America's Transportation Awards competition.

Highway Trust Fund Receives Second Infusion
For the second year in a row, the Highway Trust Fund reached a crisis level, once again approaching insolvency. U.S. Deputy Transportation Secretary John Porcari warned state DOTs in late June of an impending cash shortfall that could lead to rationing of highway and bridge project reimbursements. The House and Senate passed legislation to remedy the problem in July. President Barack Obama signed into law Aug. 7 a bill directing the U.S. Treasury Department to deposit $7 billion into the Highway Trust Fund from the federal government's General Fund to ensure state transportation departments would continue receiving full reimbursements for federal-aid highway projects.

Long-Term Authorization Measure Fails to Pass Congress
Efforts to enact a new six-year authorization for federal highway and transit programs ran into their first major roadblock in mid-June. The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee had been working for many months to draft a blueprint to guide the next six years of federal transportation policy and spending. It released that document, an 86-page white paper that details key principles, at a news conference the day after U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood visited privately with members of Congress. During those meetings, he expressed the administration's desire to push back consideration of a long-term authorization measure.

The House Highways and Transit Subcommittee voted June 24 to send a draft 775-page authorization bill to the full T&I Committee. The House T&I Committee has been unable to gain agreement with the House Ways and Means Committee on how to fund the $500 billion measure. The Obama administration has opposed increasing fuel taxes to pay for the bill. Numerous other revenue raisers have been proposed by members of Congress, but none have gotten the traction needed to propel the bill to the House floor and on to the Senate.

With no consensus on how to fund a six-year bill, Congress has passed four extensions of the 2005 transportation authorization law known as "SAFETEA-LU," which expired Sept. 30. The first went until Oct. 31, followed by extensions to Dec. 18, Dec. 23, and now to Feb. 28, 2010. The House of Representatives passed a job-creation bill Dec. 16 that includes an extension of transportation authorization until Sept. 30, 2010, and an additional $19.5 billion for the Highway Trust Fund. The Senate has yet to debate that measure.

Rescissions of Highway Contract Authority Hit States Hard
State DOTs could lose nearly $12 billion in highway contract authority this fiscal year due to rescissions ordered by Congress that will affect federal disbursements if the budget baseline is not reset by March 1. The first rescission during the last fiscal year was for $3.15 billion in March 2009 and the second rescission was for $8.7 billion in September 2009. Although state DOTs had been aware of the $8.7 billion rescission, it was believed that Congress would enact a repeal. Many states, relying on the widely held belief that the rescission would be nixed, had programmed those funds to specific projects. Those states now face real cuts of several hundred million dollars to their transportation plans for the coming year.

States Struggle to Raise Additional Revenue for Transportation Projects
Efforts to increase gasoline taxes failed in numerous states this year as a severe economic recession made it politically difficult for many state legislators to vote for a tax hike. Only the District of Columbia, Oregon, and Vermont were able to pass fuel-tax increases this year.

Distracted Driving Becomes Major Traffic Safety Concern
The National Safety Council urged in January that states prohibit drivers from using any type of cellphone. As the year went on, numerous other studies were released showed that texting while behind the wheel can greatly increase a driver's risk for crashing. Several states this year enacted bans on sending text messages while driving. This fall, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood organized a two-day summit on distracted driving. LaHood announced at the conclusion of the summit that President Barack Obama signed an executive order prohibiting federal employees from sending text messages while driving on government business or using government-issued electronic devices.

Cash for Clunkers Program Spurs Americans to Buy Fuel-Efficient Cars
Congress passed a "Cash for Clunkers" program in June to entice Americans to get rid of their old gas guzzlers and replace them with new fuel-efficient vehicles. The response was overwhelming. The initial $1 billion in funding for the vouchers, worth up to $4,500 per new vehicle purchased, ran out within weeks. Congress then provided an additional $2 billion for the program in August, and that money rapidly vanished as consumers swarmed car lots. The U.S. Department of Transportation ended the program Aug. 24. Nearly 700,000 clunkers were traded in during the summer as a result of the program.

Job Creation Bill Approved by House
As the nation's unemployment rate surged to 10.2 percent in October, the highest rate since 1983, Congress began drafting legislation designed to further stimulate job creation. State transportation departments through AASHTO identified in early December more than 9,500 highway, bridge, transit, rail, port, aviation, and intermodal projects worth $69.55 billion that, if funded by Congress, could be used to create hundreds of thousands of jobs across the country. The House responded by passing Dec. 16 a bill that would appropriate $27.5 billion for highways and $8.4 billion for mass transit, matching amounts provided in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that Congress passed in February. Amtrak would receive $800 million from the jobs package while airports would get $500 million and shipyards $100 million. The Senate is expected to consider the measure early next year.

New AASHTO Leaders Elected
Butch Brown, executive director of the Mississippi Department of Transportation, was elected as the new AASHTO president Oct. 26 at the association's annual meeting in Palm Desert, CA. Susan Martinovich, director of the Nevada Department of Transportation, was chosen as vice president. Martinovich becomes the first woman to serve as AASHTO vice president.

AASHTO Launches Transportation Marketing Campaign, Transportation TV, Revamped Journal
The association rolled out in February a new television website, www.TransportationTV.org, that is devoted to transportation news and issues. Transportation TV has since produced more than 100 news updates, interviews with key decisionmakers, and other videos.

In April, the association launched a national campaign to build awareness and provide information on the critical needs of our nation's transportation system. The campaign -- "Are We There Yet? We Can Be!" -- is designed to be a one-stop shop for current information on the condition of the country's infrastructure, state examples of successful projects, innovative technology, and focused solutions that can be shared with the public, media, business and community groups, and lawmakers. The campaign stresses three key messages: 1) State DOTs are accountable; 2) Their projects are community-driven; and 3) Their work is performance based: on time, on budget, and using the most innovative technologies.

The campaign website, AreWeThereYet.transportation.org, outlines the AASHTO authorization proposals and includes facts about America's transportation infrastructure as well as a host of examples and information on issues ranging from safety and congestion to freight and transit. The campaign includes a monthly news brief, Marketing Transportation E-News.

In August, the association launched a brand new website for the AASHTO Journal, www.aashtojournal.org. It also created an improved AASHTO Journal e-mail newsletter that delivers the week's headlines to your inbox every Friday afternoon. The Journal offers in-depth coverage of the week's top transportation stories in addition to providing brief summaries of economic recovery, national, state, and association news. The Journal's new website is set up in a "news you can use" format, allowing readers to view individual articles and then have the options of printing, e-mailing, or sharing them via social-networking sites such as Facebook.