U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE

35–123 PDF WASHINGTON : 2019

S. HRG. 115–480 

ADDRESSING AMERICA’S SURFACE 

TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS 

HEARING 

BEFORE THE

COMMITTEE ON 

ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS 

UNITED STATES SENATE 

ONE HUNDRED FIFTEENTH CONGRESS 

SECOND SESSION 

NOVEMBER 28, 2018 

Printed for the use of the Committee on Environment and Public Works 

( 

Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.govinfo.gov 

(II) 

COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS 

ONE HUNDRED FIFTEENTH CONGRESS 

SECOND SESSION 

JOHN BARRASSO, Wyoming, Chairman 

JAMES M. INHOFE, Oklahoma 

SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO, West Virginia 

JOHN BOOZMAN, Arkansas 

ROGER WICKER, Mississippi 

DEB FISCHER, Nebraska 

JERRY MORAN, Kansas 

MIKE ROUNDS, South Dakota 

JONI ERNST, Iowa 

DAN SULLIVAN, Alaska 

RICHARD SHELBY, Alabama 

THOMAS R. CARPER, Delaware, 

Ranking Member 

BENJAMIN L. CARDIN, Maryland 

BERNARD SANDERS, Vermont 

SHELDON WHITEHOUSE, Rhode Island 

JEFF MERKLEY, Oregon 

KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND, New York 

CORY A. BOOKER, New Jersey 

EDWARD J. MARKEY, Massachusetts 

TAMMY DUCKWORTH, Illinois 

CHRIS VAN HOLLEN, Maryland 

RICHARD M. RUSSELL, Majority Staff Director 

MARY FRANCES REPKO, Minority Staff Director 

(III) 

C O N T E N T S 

Page 

NOVEMBER 28, 2018 

OPENING STATEMENTS 

Barrasso, Hon. John, U.S. Senator from the State of Wyoming .......................... 1 

Carper, Hon. Thomas R., U.S. Senator from the State of Delaware ................... 3 

WITNESSES 

Braceras, Carlos M., P.E., President at American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, and Executive Director, Utah Department of Transportation ........................................................................................ 5 

Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 7 

Responses to additional questions from: 

Senator Barrasso ....................................................................................... 19 

Senator Carper .......................................................................................... 22 

Senator Boozman ....................................................................................... 26 

Senator Duckworth ................................................................................... 28 

Response to an additional question from Senator Fischer ............................ 30 

Lanham, Robert, Vice President, Associated General Contractors of America .. 31 

Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 33 

Responses to additional questions from: 

Senator Barrasso ....................................................................................... 43 

Senator Carper .......................................................................................... 45 

Senator Boozman ....................................................................................... 46 

Corless, James, Executive Director, Sacramento Area Council of Governments ..................................................................................................................... 48 

Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 50 

Responses to additional questions from: 

Senator Barrasso ....................................................................................... 60 

Senator Carper .......................................................................................... 61 

Response to an additional question from Senator Duckworth ...................... 66 

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL 

Testimony by American Association of Port Authorities ...................................... 86 

Statement for the Record of The American Society of Civil Engineers .............. 88 

Letter to Senators Barrasso and Carper from the Intelligent Transportation 

Society of America (ITS America), November 28, 2018 .................................... 92 

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ADDRESSING AMERICA’S SURFACE 

TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS 

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2018 

U.S. SENATE, 

COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS, 

Washington, DC. 

The Committee met, pursuant to notice, at 9:35 a.m. in room 

406, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Hon. John Barrasso (Chairman of the Committee) presiding. 

Present: Senators Barrasso, Carper, Inhofe, Capito, Boozman, 

Wicker, Fischer, Moran, Rounds, Ernst, Sullivan, Cardin, Gillibrand, Markey, and Van Hollen. 

OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. JOHN BARRASSO, 

U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF WYOMING 

Senator BARRASSO. Good morning. 

Today we will discuss the need to address and modernize our Nation’s surface transportation infrastructure. 

This Committee has historically taken the bipartisan lead on infrastructure issues in the Senate; 2018 is a good example. It has 

been a banner year for moving infrastructure legislation forward. 

In March of this year President Trump signed into law legislation 

from this Committee to reauthorize and enhance the EPA’s 

Brownfields Program. This legislation is going to help clean up contaminated sites for reuse. It will spur much needed infrastructure 

development on abandoned industrial sites. 

In October President Trump signed America’s Water Infrastructure Act. As the most significant water infrastructure bill passed 

in decades, the America’s Water Infrastructure Act is going to grow 

the economy, cut Washington red tape, and keep communities safe. 

America’s Water Infrastructure Act will upgrade and maintain 

aging dams and irrigation systems, increase water storage, and 

deepen nationally significant ports. It authorizes funds to repair 

aging drinking water systems so that communities across America 

have access to clean drinking water. It authorizes important 

projects. It will create jobs and grow our economy. It will benefit 

Americans for years to come. 

I believe the bipartisan successes on water infrastructure and 

brownfields cleanup can be replicated for America’s surface transportation infrastructure as well. 

Our surface transportation infrastructure drives the health, the 

well being, and the prosperity of the Nation. We depend on highways, roads, and bridges to move people and goods, to get to our 

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jobs, and to visit our loved ones. Simply put, surface transportation 

infrastructure connects all of us. 

But for far too long we have not prioritized the needs of these 

vital infrastructure systems. New funding is needed to keep pace 

with the demands, and burdensome Federal regulations have 

slowed efforts to spend money efficiently. The time has come to cut 

red tape and make significant investments in our roads and 

bridges, investment necessary to keep the Highway Trust Fund solvent. 

In a hearing last year in this Committee, Wyoming Department 

of Transportation Director Bill Panos stated in written testimony 

that ‘‘Using the current predominantly formula based FAST Act 

approach to distribution would ensure both rural and urban States 

participate in the initiative.’’ He said, ‘‘It will also help push the 

benefits of any new infrastructure initiative out to the public 

promptly.’’ 

Now, I agree. Using the formula based approach will expedite the 

delivery of future infrastructure spending. Existing formula funding systems allow flexibility for both rural and urban States to use 

Federal money to its best advantage. What works in Los Angeles 

or Chicago may not work for smaller communities like Cody or Riverton, Wyoming. 

We also need to update the law to allow our States to build faster, better, cheaper, and smarter. When we make significant investments in our Nation’s infrastructure, we need to be sure that 

money is being used as effectively and efficiently as possible. 

By cutting Washington’s red tape, we can ensure that better 

roads and bridges can be delivered faster. As States, counties, and 

towns wait to obtain permits from Washington, costs for projects 

rise, and time is wasted. It shouldn’t take a decade to permit a 

project that only takes months to build. We need to speed up 

project delivery, and I believe it can be done without sacrificing environmental safeguards. 

We also should explore new technology both in how we build and 

how we drive can reduce costs, can improve safety, and can increase the longevity of our roads and bridges. Better roads and 

bridges across America help all of us. Everyone benefits from safer 

highways, well maintained roads, and resilient bridges. 

America prides itself on its ingenuity and commitment to provide 

infrastructure that meets the needs of its people, and I know that 

my good friend, Senator Carper, agrees that it is up to our Committee, working together as we did on water infrastructure, working with the Administration to move forward with legislation to improve our highways, our roads, and bridges well into the future. 

We are a Committee that gets things done. We want to continue 

on that road and get a highway infrastructure bill passed next 

year. 

I would now like to recognize Ranking Member Carper for his remarks. 

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OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. THOMAS R. CARPER, 

U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF DELAWARE 

Senator CARPER. Thanks, Mr. Chairman. 

Welcome to our witnesses, our guests, colleagues. I want to 

thank our Chairman for pulling us together this morning for signaling a clear interest in working seriously toward long term surface transportation reauthorization not at the middle of next year, 

not at the end of next year, starting right from the get-go. 

I have long believed that transportation infrastructure is an area 

where our Committee can again lead in a bipartisan fashion. The 

Chairman has mentioned the Water Resources Development Act. 

Ben Cardin has slipped off to another hearing in Foreign Relations, and Jim Inhofe has done the same thing in the Armed Services, but I just want to say to them and their staffs, everybody on 

the Committee and our staffs, Democrat and Republican, how 

proud I am of all of our collective efforts and grateful for our Chairman’s leadership. 

I believe that next year we are going to have another opportunity 

to work on legislation that improves the state of our Nation’s infrastructure. I focus hugely on what is a major role of Government. 

Lincoln used to say the role of Government is to do for the people 

what they cannot do for themselves. I would put a finer point on 

that and say a major role of Government is to help create a nurturing environment for job creation and job preservation. 

That is a big part of what we are responsible for, and roads, 

highways, bridges, rail, airports, ports, you name it, a big part of 

that nurturing environment. It is hugely important, and fortunately, this Committee has a lot of jurisdiction over, so we are 

going have fun working on this. 

Our Committee’s minority members, our staffs are ready to go to 

work with our Republican colleagues when the new Congress convenes in a little more than a month. I say that knowing we face 

significant challenges in reauthorizing our surface transportation 

programs, the most important of which is the need to identify sustainable sources of funding to address the growing deficit in the 

Highway Trust Fund. This, my friends, is always the 800 pound gorilla in the room, as we know. 

In the last decade Congress had to transfer more than $140 billion into the Highway Trust Fund because the Trust Fund revenues were insufficient to meet our investment needs. Additionally, 

Congress resorted to passing more than a dozen short term extensions of the transportation program the past decade, which created 

significant uncertainty for State and local agencies, and not uncommonly, added cost, significant cost because of that uncertainty to 

these projects. 

Funding uncertainty leads States to stop or slow down many 

projects. If highway authorization expires or funding runs out, the 

Federal Highway Administration is unable to reimburse States for 

Federal aid projects already underway and make it impossible to 

approve new projects. 

As we begin work on a new authorization of the Federal programs, one of our primary goals should be to avoid another series 

of short term extensions going forward, and that means having a 

bill passed before our current authorization expires in 2020. 

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Albert Einstein once said, ‘‘In adversity lies opportunity.’’ That 

has been one of my guiding principles for as long as I can remember. I think it probably is for a lot of us. I believe that the opportunities to improve our transportation programs in the next few 

years are great, despite the challenges, the adversity that we are 

going to face along the way. 

New technology, new data are going to enable us to modernize 

how we plan, how we build, how we operate and use our infrastructure. We ought to look for ways to ensure that Federal programs 

support innovations that improve mobility, improve safety, air 

quality, and other goals as well. 

We can’t have a conversation about surface transportation, 

though, without talking about climate change and the increasingly 

extreme weather that accompanies it. Our transportation sector is 

a major contributor to climate change, and our roads, bridges, railways are also extremely vulnerable to the effects of extreme weather fueled by climate change. 

According to the National Climate Assessment Report released 

last week by 13 Federal agencies, ‘‘Expected increases in the severity and frequency of heavy precipitation events will affect inland 

infrastructure in every region, including access to roads, the viability of bridges, and the safety of pipelines.’’ Our next infrastructure 

bill must respond to this threat by focusing on a more resilient and 

sustainable transportation sector to protect communities nationwide. 

Safety is another area which demands our close attention. Motor 

vehicle crashes have consistently been the leading cause of preventable deaths in our country, overtaken only recently by the opioid 

epidemic. More than 37,000 people are killed on our roadways each 

year. We can’t continue to just accept this level of loss. Safety must 

be a top priority, and our investment decisions must reflect that 

prioritization. 

In closing, let me reiterate that I am encouraged by the bipartisan consensus on the need to invest in our infrastructure, particularly transportation. I truly hope that this will be the first of many 

opportunities to engage in a bipartisan discussion, in this room and 

outside of this room, to identify areas of agreement where we can 

work together, which, as we all know, is a primary reason our constituents sent us here in the first place, to work together and get 

some things done, like we did last year. Actually, like we did in the 

last week with the Coast Guard reauthorization bill. I thank those 

on this Committee who played a role in developing compromise 

there on ballast water and VIDA Blue. 

I want to welcome each of our witnesses, and thank you all again 

for joining us today, for our conversation. We look forward to learning and to hearing from you in just a minute. 

Thank you so much. 

Senator BARRASSO. Well, thank you very much, Senator Carper. 

We are now going to hear from our three witnesses today. First, 

we are going to hear from Carlos Braceras, who is President of the 

American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, AASHTO, and Executive Director of the Utah Department of 

Transportation. We will also hear from Robert Lanham, who is the 

Vice President at the Associated General Contractors of America; 

5 

and James Corless, Executive Director for the Sacramento Area 

Council of Governments. 

I would like to remind the witnesses that your full written testimony will be included as part of the official hearing record, so 

please try to keep your statements to 5 minutes so we will have 

time for questions. I look forward to hearing the testimony from 

each of you. 

Let us begin with Mr. Braceras. 

STATEMENT OF CARLOS M. BRACERAS, P.E., PRESIDENT AT 

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF STATE HIGHWAY AND TRANSPORTATION OFFICIALS, AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, UTAH 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Mr. BRACERAS. Thank you, Chairman Barrasso, Ranking Member Carper, and members of the Committee. Thank you for the opportunity to appear today and address the surface transportation 

investment needs faced by our country. 

My name is Carlos Braceras, and I serve as the Executive Director of the Utah Department of Transportation and as the President 

of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation 

Officials, AASHTO. It is my honor today to represent both the 

great State of Utah and AASHTO, which represents all 50 States 

plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. 

State DOTs have the utmost appreciation for your Committee’s 

leadership to shepherd the FAST Act in December 2015. This legislation has ensured stability in the federally supported passenger 

rail, freight, safety, highway, and transit programs through 2020. 

To further build on the Federal surface transportation solid foundation, we believe that it is now time for all transportation stakeholders, led by Congress and the President, to begin work on reauthorizing the FAST Act and to ensure a smooth transition to the 

next long term bill without the need for disrupted extensions. 

AASHTO has already initiated, earlier this year, an extensive 18 

month effort to develop and present our reauthorization policy recommendations this next October. As the FAST Act reauthorization 

gets underway, we recommend that Federal funds continue being 

provided through the existing formula based structure directly to 

States, rather than looking at untested approaches that will require more time and oversight. 

Building on the federally funded State administered highway 

program established over a century ago, Federal investment in all 

modes of transportation have allowed States and their local partners to fund a wide range of projects that serve the interest of the 

Nation as a whole. Formula funds work because they serve all corners of our country, improving mobility and the quality of life in 

urban, suburban, and rural areas. 

Even with the FAST Act, however, the investment backlog for 

transportation infrastructure continues to increase, reaching $836 

billion for highways and bridges, $122 billion for transit. The percentage of Federal investment in transportation and water infrastructure has declined substantially from almost 6 percent of total 

Federal spending in the 1960s to only 2.5 percent by 2017. 

While Federal investment has lagged, States have stepped up in 

the meantime to fill the gap, with 31 States successfully enacting 

6 

State level transportation packages since 2012. In Utah, our legislature recently adopted a State fuel tax and indexed both the fuel 

tax and registration fee to keep pace with inflation. Also, we are 

going to be the second State in the Nation to implement a road 

usage charge program. 

But efforts by Utah and other States to fund the system ourselves are not enough. The Federal Government must step up its 

share of investment, and it will not be easy. Just to keep our current FAST Act funding levels, Congress has to find $90 billion in 

additional revenue for a 5 year bill or $114 billion for a 6 year bill. 

At the same time, the purchasing power of the Trust Fund revenues has declined substantially due to the flat per gallon motor 

fuel taxes that have not been adjusted since 1993, losing half of 

their value over the last quarter-century. That means the Federal 

highway programs are expected to experience a 51 percent drop 

after the FAST Act in 2021, and the Federal transit programs 

would have to be zeroed out in 2021 and 2022. 

In the past, similar shortfall situations have led to cuts in Federal reimbursements to States on existing obligations, leading to 

serious cash flow problems for States and resulting in project 

delays. Simply put, this is a devastating scenario that we must do 

all we can to avoid. 

In addition, the FAST Act included a $7.6 billion rescission of unobligated highway contract authority to take place in 2020. This is 

a budget artifice that disrupts transportation planning and timely 

delivery of projects. The cumulative effect of rescissions with over 

$22 billion enacted since 2002 can wipe out the entire balance of 

contract authority held by States, which will lead to hard funding 

cuts to dollars promised under the FAST Act. 

We must take advantage of the short window that we have right 

now to head off the dual threat of a funding cliff and a rescission 

in 2020. If we miss this opportunity for action, the extremely costly 

and disruptive scenario for transportation programs around the 

country will become all but inevitable. 

State DOTs remain committed to assisting Congress in the development of policies that will ensure long term economic growth and 

enhance quality of life. You can be fully assured that AASHTO and 

the State DOTs will continue advocating for the reaffirmation of a 

strong Federal-State partnership to address our surface transportation investment needs. 

I want to thank you for the opportunity to testify today, and I 

am happy to answer any questions you may have. 

[The prepared statement of Mr. Braceras follows:] 

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Carlos M. Braceras, P.E. 

President 

American Association of State Highway and 

Transportation Officials 

Executive Director 

Utah Department of Transportation 

Carlos M. Braceras was appointed acting director of the Utah 

Department ofTransportation (UDOT) in May 2013. In this 

capacity, he is responsible for UDOT's more than 1,600 

employees and the design, construction and maintenance of Utah's 6,000-mile system 

of roads and highways. UDOT recently celebrated the completion of two of the largest 

highway projects in Utah history with the Utah County 1-15 Corridor Expansion (1-15 

CORE) and the first phase of the Mountain View Corridor in west Salt Lake County. 

Braceras joined UDOT in 1986. Prior to his appointment to acting director, he served as 

deputy director for 12 years. Braceras has also served as the director of UDOT's Region 

Three Office, chief geotechnical engineer, chief value engineer, a member of the 

Legacy Parkway/1-15 North Project team and as a roadway design engineer. He was 

named the "1998 State of Utah Governor's Manager of the Year" and was the 1998 

recipient of the "UDOT Leader of the Year" Award. Prior to joining UDOT, Braceras 

worked as a well-site geologist doing oil and gas exploration and development. He is on 

the board of directors for the American Association of Highway and Transportation 

Officials (AASHTO), where he serves as the secretary/treasurer and as the chair of the 

Subcommittee on Maintenance. 

Braceras received an undergraduate degree in Geology from the University of Vermont 

and an undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Utah. He is a 

registered professional engineer. 
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AASHID 

TESTI0.10NY OF 

The Honorable Carlos M. Braceras, P .E. 

President, American Association of State Highway and 

Transportation Officials; 

Executive Director, Utah Department of Transportation 

RFG \RDING 

Surface Transportation Investment Needs 

of the United States 

BEFORE THE 

Committee on Environment and Public Works 

of the United States Senate 

()); 

November 28,2018 

.\mcrican .\ssociation of State Highway and Transportation Officials 

444 North Capitol Street, N.W., Suite 249 

Washington, D.C., 20001 

202-624-5800 

www.transportation.org 

!tlt~L(I_.l;t;;!1t~£ll,_;.;, 
9 


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ll 12 

INTRODUCTION 

Chairman Barrasso, Ranking Member Carper, and Members of the Committee, thank you for the 

opportunity to appear today and address the surface transportation investment needs faced by our 

country. 

My name is Carlos Braceras, and I serve as the Executive Director of the Utah Department of 

Transportation (UDOT) and as President of the American Association of State Highway and 

Transportation Officials (AASHTO). Today, it is my honor to testify on behalf of the great State 

of Utah and AASHTO, which represents the State departments of transportation (State DOTs) of 

all SO States, Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico. 

I first joined UDOT as a registered professional engineer and a geologist. Prior to my 

appointment as the Executive Director in May 2013, I served as the Deputy Director for twelve 

years with previous experience as Region Director, Major Project Manager, Chief Geotechnical 

Engineer and Chief Value Engineer. In addition to serving as AASHTO's President for 2018-

2019, I am also the Chairman of the AASHTO Committee on Design and the Chair of the 

Technical Working Group of the AASHTO Center for Environmental Excellence. I am also the 

current Chair of the Board of Directors of the Intelligent Transportation Society of America. 

My testimony today will emphasize four main points: 

• Ensuring a strong federal role and investment in surface transportation by preparing for 

the next long-term surface transportation bill; 

• Examination of surface transportation investment needs; 

• Maintaining a strong federal investment in surface transportation by stabilizing the 

Highway Trust Fund; and 

• Preparing for and harnessing significant technological advancements. 

ENSURING A STROl'/G FEDERAL ROLJ<j AND INVESTMENT IN SURFACE 

TRANSPORTATION BY PREPARING FOR THE NEXT LONG-TERM.SURFACE 

TRANSPoRTATION BILL 

Throughout the history of our country, transportation has played an integral role in the success of 

our economy. Transportation is the foundation of the economy and quality life for every state in 

the nation. A well-functioning safe transportation system will help ensure the United States 

maintains its leadership position in the world. States have done an admirable job of addressing 

transportation within their boundaries, but there is clearly a need for a cohesive national 

transportation system. Take for instance, AdvancePierre Food Services, whose plant in 

Oklahoma ships throughout the country to other plants and retailers. Their success would not be 

possible without an effective interstate transpmtation system. While AdvancePierre's plants may 

Testimony of Carlos ;\L Braceras, P.E. 

President, .·\merican :\ssociation of State Highway and Transportation Officials (. \.-\SHTO); 

Executive Director, Utah Department of Transportation 
10 


35123.004

be in Oklahoma and other states throughout the country, Utah's transportation system needs to 

be able to support businesses such as this; nearly a quarter of the traffic on Utah's interstate 

system is commercial freight vehicles, carrying goods like AdancePierre's food products to Utah 

and through it. Just as AdvancePierre depends on a reliable, effective, well-maintained, and safe 

transportation system in Utah, the businesses located in Utah also rely on effective national 

transportation system to move its products across this country and around the world. 

This is just one example of how our entire nation-including residents and businesses of major 

metropolitan areas and rural areas alike-is well-served by a strong federal investment that 

improves surface transportation infrastructure. It drives home the point that our nation's 

transportation system is one of the key foundational elements necessary to ensure the economic 

vitality of our country. 

The state departments of transportations (DOTs) have the utmost appreciation for your 

Committee's leadership, along with your Senate and House peers in partner committees to 

shepherd the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act in December 2015. This 

legislation has ensured stability in the federally-supported passenger rail, freight, safety, 

highway, and transit programs through 2020. While the five years authorized under the FAST 

Act has given us a temporary reprieve-thanks to over $140 billion of General Fund transfers 

since 2008-from recurring deep cuts in obligations due to the annual gap between Highway 

Trust Fund receipts and outlays expected to grow to $26 billion ten years from now, the case for 

maintaining a strong federal role and investment in transportation remains as important as ever. 

To further build on the federal surface transportation's solid foundation, we believe that it is now 

time for all transportation stakeholders-led by Congress and the President-to begin work on 

reauthorizing the FAST Act, and to ensure a smooth transition upon the FAST Act's expiration 

on September 30,2020, without the need for disruptive extensions of the program. Under the 

direction of AASHTO's Transportation Policy Forum, the state DOTs earlier this year initiated 

an extensive 18-month effort to develop and adopt reauthorization policy recommendations by 

October of next year. It is a bottom-up process, where we are currently in the process of 

gathering expert input from our wide range of technical committees comprising leaders from all 

state DOTs. We're also seeking our industry partners' input during this process prior to our 

formal adoption later next year, in order to maximize the inclusivity of perspectives in our policy 

recommendations to come. 

As FAST Act reauthorization gets under way, we strongly recommend that federal funds to 

continue to be provided through the existing formula-based program structure directly to states 

rather than looking at untested new approaches that will require more time and oversight. For 

over one hundred years, we as a nation have enjoyed the fruits of the federal government's 

highly successful partnership with state DOTs to build and maintain our surface transportation 

system. Beginning from the Federal-aid Road Act of 1916 establishing the foundation of a 

federally-funded, state-administered highway program that has been well-suited to a growing 

and geographically diverse nation like ours, federal investment in all modes of transportation 

have allowed states and their local partners to fund a wide range of projects that serve the interest 

of the nation as a whole. The federal surface transportation program's inherent flexibility defers 

Testimony of Carlos M. Braceras, P.E. 

President, .\merican .:\ssociation of State flighway and Transportation Officials (~ \_,-\SHTO); 

Executive Director, Utah Department ofTram;portation 
11 


35123.005

lll! 

project selection and investment decision-making to state and local governments based on 

extensive public input from local communities and businesses to address their needs and ensure 

goods get access to a larger market than ever before. Putting the formula program framework 

that built the Interstate Highway System and the National Highway System-the backbone of 

our national network of roads and bridges that drive our national economy-into work again to 

underpin the next surface transportation legislation represents the optimal approach to serve all 

corners of our country, improving mobility and quality of life in urban, suburban, and rural areas. 

EXAMINATION OF SURFACE TRANSPORTATION CAPITAL INVESTMENT 

NEEDS 

Despite substantial funding challenges for transportation, the investment backlog for 

transportation infrastructure continues to increase-reaching $836 billion for highways and 

bridges and $122 billion for transit according to the US Department of Transportation's 

(US DOT) 2015 Conditions and Performance Report. Similarly, the American Society of Civil 

Engineers has identified a $1.1 trillion funding gap for surface transportation between 2016 and 

2025. Despite these growing needs, federal investment in transportation and water infrastructure 

has declined substantially from almost six percent of total federal spending in the 1960s to only 

2.5 percent by 2017. 

EXHIBIT 1. FEDERAL SPENDING ON TRANSPORTATION AND WATER INFRASTRUCTURE, 1956 TO 2017 

Percentage of Total Federal Spending 

7 

6 

5 

4 

3 

2 

0 

1956 1966 

Sources: Congressional Budget Office 

1976 1986 1996 2006 

Testimony of Carlos ;\1. Braceras, P.K 

President: American ,\ssociation of State Highway and Transportation Officials (.-L\SHTO); 

Executive Director, Utah Department of Transportation 

2.5 

2016 
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35123.006

JS 

It is also telling to look where our nation stands relative to global peers in infrastructure quality 

and economic competitiveness. The 2018 Global Competitiveness Report rankings from the 

World Economic Forum on infrastructure quality has listed the United States at just ninth place 

overall. 

EXHIBIT 2. US IN!.'RASTRUCTURE QUALITY RANK!NGS 

Valu8 Score· Ra-;k 14G 

89.5 4-

26 

27 

Sources: The Global Compctiti\'eness Report 2016-20!7 

Given that much of the Interstate system has now reached the end of its design life and must be 

reconstructed or replaced-and there is considerable need for additional capital improvements to 

the broader federal-aid highway network and the country's transit system-the federal 

government should strive to return to this prior level of investment relative to the national 

economy. States have stepped up in the meantime to fill the funding gap, with 31 states 

successfully enacting state-level transportation packages since 2012. 

In Utah, the legislature recently adopted an increase to the state fuel tax and indexed both the 

fuel tax and registration fees to the Consumer Price Index to help transportation funding keep 

pace with inflation. Additionally, for many years Utah's legislature has dedicated a portion of 

state sales tax-represented as the percentage of sales tax generated from the sale of automobiles 

and automobile parts-to help fund the state's growing transportation needs. The state has also 

authorized local governments to adopt various local-option sales taxes to help fund local and 

regional transportation needs across modes. Finally, this year the Utah legislature directed 

UDOT to develop and implement a Road Usage Charge (RUC) program for certain alternative 

fuel and hybrid vehicles. Under this program, which begins on January I, 2020, Utah will join 

Oregon as one of two states with an operational RUC program. As directed by the state 

legislature, UDOT will continue to study further expansion of a RUC program beyond the 

alternative fuel program as a potential future replacement of the fuel tax. 

However, efforts by Utah and other states to fund our transportation alone is not enough to meet 

the large backlog of needs-the federal government must look to step up its share of investment. 

Testimony of Carlos ;\f. Braceras, P.E. 

President, ~\merican Assoctation of State Highway and Transportation Officials (.\. \Sl ITO); 

Executive Director, Utah Department of Transportation 
13 


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l 1l l 

MAINTAINING,ASTRQN9 FEDERAL INVES'l'MENT IN SURJ,?ACF; 

TRANSPORTATION BY STABILIZING THE HIGHWAY TRUST FUND 

j6 

According to the Congressional Budget Office, in order to simply maintain the current Highway 

Trust Fund (HTF) spending levels adjusted for inflation after the FAST Act, Congress will need 

to identify $89.9 billion in additional revenues for a five-year bill through 2025; $114 billion 

would be needed to support a six-year bill through 2026. At the same time, the purchasing power 

of HTF revenues has declined substantially mainly due to the flat, per-gallon motor fuel taxes 

that have not been adjusted since 1993, losing over half of its value in the last quarter century. 

These dire trends mean that absent a revenue fix by 2020, the HTF is expected to experience a 

significant cash shortfall leading to an estimated 51 percent drop in highway obligations from the 

year before, or from $46.9 billion to $23 billion, and a zeroing out of obligations from the Mass 

Transit Account in 2021 and 2022 (excluding dollars flexed from the Highway Account). In the 

past, such similar shortfall situations have led to the possibility of a reduction in federal 

reimbursements to states on existing obligations, leading to serious cash flow problems for states 

and resulting project delays. Simply put, this is a devastating scenario that we must do all we can 

to avoid. 

EXHIBIT 3. ESTIMATED FEDERAL HIGHWAY TRUST FUND OBLIGATIONS THROUG112028 

Testimony of Carlos ;\I. Braceras, P.E. 

President: .-\merican .\ssociation of State fiighway and Transportation Officials (..:\.\SH'fO); 

Executive Director, Utah Department of Transportation 
14 


35123.008

lY \Hi 17 

A~,~~:,~~;;;':;';;~~'::~ ESTIMATED FEDERAL HIGHWAY TRUST FUND OBLIGATIONS T;:;,so~rc; Ill Highway Account Transit Account 

50 

45 

40 

35 

~ 

~ 20 0 

15 

10 

5 

0 

2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 

In addition to the massive cash shortfall issue facing the HTF, the FAST Act included a $7.6 

billion rescission of unobligated highway contract authority to take effect on July I, 2020, as a 

means to bring the spending baseline back to the 2015 level on paper. Unfortunately, the contract 

authority rescission is a budgetary artifice that at best impedes the flexibility of state DOTs to 

meet their individual infrastructure needs by disrupting transportation planning and timely 

delivery of projects; and at worst, the cumulative effect of rescissions-with over $22 billion 

enacted since 2002---can wipe out the entire balance of contract authority held by states which 

will lead to hard funding cuts to federal dollars authorized under the FAST Act. 

We in the transportation industry do everything in our power to build important projects as fast 

as possible, but due to the nature of large capital programs, including an extensive regulatory 

process, many of them take several years to complete. The lack of stable, predictable funding 

from the HTF makes it nearly impossible for state DOTs to plan for large projects that need a 

reliable flow of funding over multiple years. Major transportation projects around the country 

will be put to risk near the expiration of the FAST Act if Congress fails to address both the 

Testimony of Carlos [..f. Braccras, P.E. 

President," \merican ~,\ssoctation of State I Iighway and Transportation Officials (.-\_:\SHTO); 

Executive Director, t:tah Department of Transportation 
15 


35123.009

\'\D 

impending HTF shortfall and repeal of the FAST Act rescission. Such delays have serious 

economic consequences both in the short- and long-term, as these projects employ thousands of 

companies and hundreds of thousands of workers every year. More importantly, these projects 

are what connect the traveling public to the many facets of their lives. Once completed, they help 

stimulate economic growth and improve quality of life in every community where they are built. 

In Utah, uncertainty surrounding the rescission and difficulty to determine the amount of contract 

authority that will be available in the different funding categories is hampering our ability to plan 

and program projects for the remainder of the FAST Act authorization. This could negatively 

impact UDOT's asset management program since a key component of the program is having the 

right funding available to do the right treatment at the right time. By applying surface treatments 

before major damage occurs we can maintain roads at comparatively low cost. Studies have 

shown that every dollar spent on preservation can save up to $10 in rehabilitation and up to $25 

in reconstruction costs. Utah's federal highway funds are a critical component of our asset 

management program. Cuts to federal funding or even delays to the flow of federal funds to 

Utah's asset management program could delay preservation treatments, driving up asset 

management costs and impose long-lasting impacts to the health of the system. 

We must take advantage of the short window of time we have right now to head off the dual 

threat of a funding cliff and a rescission in 2020. If we miss this opportunity for action, the 

extremely costly and disruptive scenario for transportation programs all around the country will 

become all but inevitable. 

PREPARUIJG.FORAl'<!D.HAJlNESSING SIGNIFICANTTEClJNOL()GICAL 

ADVANCEl\'IENTS . 

I believe that we are at an inflection point in the transportation arena that is as significant as when 

the engine replaced the horse and buggy. Today, the dramatic change underway is the merger of 

technology between the car, truck and other vehicles with the roadway. This will change the way 

we move goods, services and people on our roads and highways. In the future, I view data as the 

new asset that will dramatically enhance public safety, save lives on our roadways, improve 

mobility, enhance program and operational efficiency, and create jobs. It is important now, more 

than ever, that we maintain relationships at local, state and federal levels to ensure our 

transportation system is not a bottleneck of continued innovation. 

At UDOT, innovation is part of our culture and we've witnessed the success that innovation can 

bring. We were the first state to implement a large-scale design build project with the completion 

of a major reconstruction of Interstate 15 in record time ahead of the 2002 Winter Olympics. We 

were the first state to implement Construction Manager/General Contractor (CMGC) as a project 

delivery method that has helped us speed completion of projects and lower costs. We've 

implemented innovative interchange and intersection designs that save lives and provide more 

cost-effective solutions. The federal government can be a critical component to innovation, 

partnering with states to enable and facilitate creative solutio11s. In Utah, our partners at the 

Federal Highway Administration's Division Office continue to be an important ally as we 

Tcstimonv of Carlos 7\.L Braceras, P.E. 

President: American ~\ssociation of State Highway and T'ransportation Officials (AASHTO); 

Executive Director, C tah Department ofT ransportation 
16 


35123.010

19 

explore and implement innovative solutions to our transportation challenges. As the owners of a 

significant amount of the highway transportation infrastructure, state DOTs are at the forefront of 

preparing for deployment of connected and automated vehicles (CAYs), including ensuring that 

the current infrastructure is in a state of good repair such that any vehicle can operate on it in a 

safe and effective manner. In addition, many state DOTs are starting to plan, design, deploy, 

operate, and maintain the technology needed for CA Vs, including vehicles equipped with ADS 

and vehicles connected to each other and the infrastructure. 

Traditional investments include providing better lighting, consistent roadway design and better 

signage-investments that are especially needed on rural roads. A crucial component to improve 

roadway safety is spectrum for vehicle-to-infrastructure, V2V or as commonly known V2X, 

which needs to be preserved, and rural broadband expanded. Currently, UDOT is implementing 

Dedicated Short Range Communication within this spectrum to create a safer and more efficient 

transportation system. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also must move 

forward with industry on the proposal to establish a Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard for 

vehicle-to-vehicle communications (V2V). Cooperative V2V and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) 

safety systems are needed to support fully automated vehicles, supported by robust research and 

deployment. Institutional capacity and workforce skills will need to be upgraded to operate, 

maintain and secure new smart roads and intelligent vehicles. 

State DOTs strongly believe that the overall benefits will be seen with autonomous vehicles that 

are also connected with other vehicles and the infrastructure on which they operate. AASHTO is 

a founding member of the V2I Deployment Coalition, on which I also serve, along with the 

Institute of Transportation Engineers and the Intelligent Transportation Society of America, and 

various transportation industry representatives. This began as a concept to create a single point of 

reference for stakeholders to meet, discuss and collaborate on V2I deployment related matters. In 

addition, AASHTO recently established the Cooperative Automated Transportation (CAT) 

Coalition, with the aim of creating a clearinghouse of connected and automated vehicle policy 

frameworks, identifying funding opportunities and financing models to enable near-term 

investments, and to identify model regulations that enable near-term pilots and deployments. 

States are continuing the initiative to develop policies to accelerate convergence of connected 

and autonomous vehicles and define industry interactions for full deployment. 

For example, in Utah, the state legislature adopted HB 373 allowing UDOT to conduct a 

connected vehicle technology testing program on its roadways. We partnered with Peloton 

Technology to test a system which facilitates platooning of two-tractor-trailer rigs on a stretch of 

I-80. Both drivers continue to steer the trucks but an automated system controls acceleration, 

responds instantly to changes in speed of the front truck located 50 feet ahead, and respond to 

road hazards up to 800 feet away. The efficiency of air flow results in a savings of about five 

percent for the front tmck and ten percent for the rear truck. This year, the Utah legislature 

adopted SB 56 fully authorizing use of this technology on Utah roads. States such as Florida, 

Michigan and Nevada have taken the initiative of policy changes and the state level, coupled 

with new guidance and standards at the national level, to effectively prepare for technological 

advancements that will provide a greater overall public value in the future. 

Testimony of Carlos~[. Braccras, P.E. 

President, .-\mcrican ~ \.ssociation of State High\vay and Transportation Officials (.\~\SHTO); 

Executive Director, Utah Department of TransportatiOn 
17 


35123.011

ll 1 10 

Promising potential abounds when it comes to the use of drones, or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles 

(UAVs). As of May this year, AASHTO identified 20 state DOTs conducting research regarding 

the use of UAVs, and another 15 state DOTs are in the research phase-testing drones to 

determine how they can be utilized. The aircraft have assisted state DOTs with bridge inspections, 

accident clearance, surveying and identifying, monitoring and mitigating risks posed by 

landslides, rockslides and flooding. 

Another area that has seen rapid gains is the use of "big data," which refer to volume (large 

amounts of data), variety (different data being combined), and velocity (the speed at which new 

data is being produced and added to the analysis), used to analyzed computationally to reveal 

patterns, trends, and associations, especially relating to traffic patterns, human behavior, and 

interactions. A great example can be seen in 16 states DOTs-including Utah-partnering with 

the Waze, a popular driving app. Under its Connected Citizens Program, there has been increased 

and ongoing partnership between Waze and various governmental agencies to share publiclyavailable incident and road closure data to facilitate smoother movement of vehicles and people. 

Recognizing the public value of partnering with the private sector, Utah began partnering with 

Waze in 2013 and was one of the first states to do so. 

An important component to advance roadway technology is the ability to create a digital 

highway with fiber optics to make our roads smarter and safer, benefiting surrounding 

communities, including underserved rural areas. In Utah, we believe this is best accomplished 

through P3s and streamlining federal regulations that provide maximum flexibility to states, 

which have enabled Utah to successfully support expansion of service provider networks. The 

property value of linear highway corridors is a major incentive enabling P3s. These partnerships 

began in the late 1990s when a change in federal law allowed the states to accommodate 

longitudinal access of telecommunications facilities within interstate rights-of- way under certain 

conditions. Utah changed our state law to allow companies to lease or barter in-kind for this 

access. These successful P3s have enabled us to significantly expand highway operations over 

large, remote expanses of the state as well as enabling private providers to expand their service 

in both urban and rural areas. The Utah DOT deploys conduit and fiber with every road project 

that makes sense and coordinates road projects with any telecommunication company that wants 

to partner. Through these partnerships Utah has realized over 2,600 combined private and public 

miles of fiber, conduit and circuit, with a total value of almost $90 million to the public. Utah's 

P3 approach to fiber has allowed us to not only expand our traffic management system, but has 

facilitated the expansion of broadband into rural areas of the state. That fiber system will 

provide the backbone for the future connected transportation system. 

Federal policies need to support P3s such as these by carefully considering the uniqueness of 

each partnership. The ability to be flexible is what makes these partnerships possible. Rigid 

regulations or mandates can remove the very flexibility that is needed, complicating 

implementation and adding unnecessary additional system costs. 

Testimony of Carlos ~L Braceras, P.E. 

President: ,"\merican ,-\ssociation of State Highway and TransportatiOn Officials (.-\:\SHTO); 

Executive Director, Utah Department of Transportation 
18 


35123.012

CONCLUSION 

State DOTs remain committed to assisting Congress in the development of policies that will 

ensure long-term economic growth and enhanced quality of life through federal investments 

provided to all states under the long-term surface transportation legislation. You can be fully 

assured that AASHTO and the state DOTs will continue advocating for the reaffirmation of a 

strong federal-state partnership to address our surface transportation investment needs. 

I want to thank you again for the opportunity to testify today, and I am happy to answer any 

questions that you may have. 

Testimony of Carlos i\L Braceras, P.E. 

President, ~\metican _\ssociation of State Highway and Transportation Officials (~-\~-\SHTO); 

Executive Director, Utah Department of Transportation 

ill 
19 


35123.013

Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works 

Hearing entitled, "Addressing America's Swface Tmnsportation Infrastructure Needs" 

November 28, 2018 

Questions for the Record for Carlos Braceras 

Chairman Barrasso: 

l. We heard from a number of State DOTs earlier in this Congress that the Department of 

Transportation's non-environmental regulatory processes and requirements eould be 

reduced to give states more flexibility to focus on priority tasks and accelerate the 

delivery of infrastructure projects. My understanding is that AASHTO has ideas on how 

to reduce regulatory burdens that would not be considered environmental requirements. 

Can you provide this committee some examples? 

AASHTO has developed a comprehensive inventory of legislative proposals for 

Congress to consider during the reauthorization process. Included in this inventory 

are several items that would reduce regulatory burdens that would not be 

considered environmental in nature. 

Examples include providing additional authority for state DOTs to assume federal 

responsibilities related to federal funds obligation management, project agreements, 

right of way acquisition, preliminary engineering costs and preventive maintenance 

projects. In addition, the TIFIA federal program can be more effectively harnessed 

by allowing for 49 percent of pro_ject cost to covered under a loan, and improving its 

accessibility for rural projects by streamlining the application process. 

The full inventory can be found here: https://tpf.transportation.org/wpcon ten t/u ploads/sitcs/35/20 17/06/ AAS ll TO-I nven ton -of-Ad min-and-LegRecommcndations-2017 -07-I 7.pdf 

2. As you know, Congress has had difficulty reauthorizing federal transportation legislation 

on time, often requiring repeated short-term extensions of the program. 

a. How important is it that Congress reauthorize the FAST Act on time? 

It is very important that Congress reauthorize the FAST Act on time. As 

state DOTs, we rely upon a level of certainty and stability in order to 

appropriately plan and program projects. This is especially important as it 

relates to large, complex, multi-year projects. 

b. Would another series of short-term extensions impact your ability to deliver 

much-needed transportation improvements in Utah? 

Short-term extensions are very disruptive to state DOTs, our local 

transportation partners and the overall transportation construction and 

engineering industries because they impose unnecessary costs by preventing 

Page 1 of 12 
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35123.014

dollars to be committed to key projects. In addition, such extensions force 

transportation investment programs to be ramped up and down to meet 

varying short-term deadlines. 

In Utah, these extensions adversely impact our ability to deliver planned 

transportation projects on time. For example, in Utah where we have four 

distinct seasons, construction season only lasts around 7 months. We work 

hard to advertise our projects in the fall and early winter to both allow our 

contractors to be a hie to begin construction activities when the warm 

weather arrives, and to get more competition amongst our contractors to get 

better bids. If we don't have program certainty, due short-term extensions, 

many times it forces us to delay advertising projects which then results in 

having to advertise too many construction projects later in the year when 

there is less contractor competition. This then results in higher prices, less 

value for the taxpayers investment, and in many time pushing much needed 

safety projects into another construction season. 

3. From its beginning, the Federal-Aid Highway program has been viewed as a federal-state 

partnership. 

a. What is your view on the current state of this partnership? 

As I mentioned in my testimony, for over one hundred years, we as a nation 

have enjoyed the fruits of the federal government's highly successful 

partnership with state DOTs to build and maintain our surface 

transportation system. And this partnership continues to work today and 

serves the American people very well. 

Beginning from the Federal-aid Road Act of 1916 establishing the foundation 

of a federally-funded, state-administered highway program that has been wellsuited to a growing and geographically diverse nation like ours, federal 

investment in all modes of transportation have allowed states and their local 

partners to fund a wide range of projects that serve the interest of the nation 

as a whole. The federal surface transportation program's inherent flexibility 

defers project selection and investment decision-making to state and local 

governments based on extensive public input from local communities and 

businesses to address their needs and ensure goods get access to a larger 

market than ever before. 

b. How important is a robust federal role to the states? 

The federal government is an important partner to both state DOTs and local 

governments. Transportation is the foundation of the economy and quality 

life for every state in the nation- and thus is important to the country as a 

whole. A well-functioning and safe transportation system will help ensure the 

United States maintains its leadership position in the world. While States 

Page 2 of 12 
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have done and continue to do an admirable joh of addressing transportation 

within their boundaries, there is clearly a need for the federal government to 

support, foster and invest in a cohesive national transportation system. 

4. Can you provide a few of AASIITO's ideas on how we can build on provisions included 

in the FAST Act and prior acts to further streamline project delivery? 

The members of AASHTO believe that where possible, feasible and prudent, 

additional refinements to project delivery processes should be considered. It is 

possible to improve the pr·oject delivery process without damaging the environment; 

after all, we at state DOTs are even more committed-because we live there-to 

protecting the environment just as policymakers are at the federal level. 

Under the direction of AASHTO's Transportation Policy Forum, the state DOTs 

earlier this year initiated an extensive 18-month effort to develop and adopt 

reauthorization policy recommendations by October of 2019. It is a bottom-up 

process, where we are currently in the process of gathering expert input from our 

wide range of technical committees comprising leaders from all state DOTs. We're 

also seeking our industry partners' input during this process prior to our formal 

adoption later next year, in order to maximize the inclusivity of perspectives in our 

policy recommendations to come. 

Through this process that reflects state DOTs' ground-level experience of delivery 

projects every day, we expect to provide Congress with legislative proposals related 

to program and project delivery. 

5. Are there any further ways that the U.S. Department of Transportation could use their 

programs to encourage innovation, or remove regulatory or policy barriers to innovation? 

A key concept that AASHTO has been working with Congress and the Administration over 

the last few years is the idea of assigning more of the traditional federal authorities 

to states. State DOTs have a tremendous amount of experience in carrying out the 

federal program. This means for states interested, if there are opportunities to 

reduce "check-in" points with the federal agency during project development and 

delivery, they would be happy to take on the federal responsibility and be held 

accountable for outcomes. A great example is reexamining the Stewardship and 

Oversight agreements that each state has with their local FHWA Division Office. 

6. Not all users of the road pay into the Highway Trust Fund. Given the projected funding 

shortfall in that fund, do you believe other users of our roads, such as drivers of electric 

cars. should pay into the trust fund? 

The Highway Trust Fund was founded upon the premise of "user pays" which 

means that through the collection of motor fuel taxes and heavy truck fees, the 

beneficiaries of the national highway system are the ones that pay into it. This model 

successfully completed the Interstate Highway System and serves as the foundation 

Page 3 of 12 
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of the current federal surface transportation program framework. That being said, 

due to gradual increases in number of vehicles that either consume lesser amount of 

motor fuels or no motor fuels at all, the traditional fuel-tax based model is, over 

time, becoming less equitable than originally intended. 

As Congress considers solutions to bring back solvency of the Highway Trust Fund, 

it should consider a number of critical factors which include long-term 

sustainability, robust dollar yield, administrative efficiency, and equity, among 

others. 

7. The FAST Act established the National Highway Freight Program to improve the 

efficient movement of freight. What changes, if any. can be made to improve this 

important program? 

The National Highway Freight Program (NHFP) has been a very important 

component of the federal transportation program. The fact that a portion of the 

funds are provided to the states by formula is also helpful- this provides the 

stability and certainty needed to plan and develop freight projects. With this 

funding from the FAST Act, state DOTs have been able to address freight 

bottlenecks that exist today, while also planning for the freight system of the future. 

We can see the changes that the growth in e-commcrce has made to the 

transportation system- that is only going to increase. 

There is no doubt that freight will continue to be a priority of the states and we ask that 

Congress continues to make it a national priority as well. As noted earlier, a key 

clement of AASHTO's Transportation Policy Forum is engaging in a bottoms-up 

approach to developing reauthorization proposals, including those proposals related 

to the NHFP. We expect to have these ready to submit these policy 

recommendations to Congress in October of 2019. 

Ranking Member Carper: 

8. Utah has recently adopted both an increase to the state fuel tax as well as a program to 

implement a Road Usage Charge. What lessons learned can you share from your efforts 

to raise revenues for transportation, and what can Congress do to support more 

widespread implementation of Road Usage Charges? 

I would summarize our lessons learned as Trust, Data, and Financial Responsibility. 

For over the last 20 years the Utah Department of Transportation has developed a 

high level of trust between the state legislature and the public by being transparent 

and by delivering high profile and innovative projects within budget and ahead of 

schedule. We "walk our talk". 

Page 4 of 12 
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In Utah the importance of the transportation system is understood, it is a key 

foundational element that supports our economy and quality of life. So, 

transportation matters, it has to work today and for future generations. 

And, because over many years we have consistently provided system performance 

data, both existing and predictive based on different funding scenarios to our 

legislature, they were able to develop an understanding and a trust for what the 

data was telling them. So, providing adequate funding to preserve our system assets 

and mobility needs is a responsibility. In Utah we believe that good roads and 

bridges cost less, and we didn't want to pass unfunded liabilities on to our future 

generations. As fiscal conservatives it is our responsibility to invest the taxpayers 

resources to achieve the lowest cost of ownership, we do that by adequately funding 

transportation. 

In Utah we believe that the gas tax has served us and this nation well for over a 100 

years, it will so for the next ten plus years. But, with the changing vehicle fleet and 

greater fuel efficiencies, the ability for the gas tax to continue to support our 

transportation system is dwindling. In Utah we believe strongly in the concept of 

"user pay", we believe that maintaining the connection between use and what one 

pays is critical. And, as we know that connection between what is being paed with 

the gas tax and the amount of system use is beginning to disappear. 

As we move fonvard with implementing our voluntary road usage charge program 

we are learning questions that we didn't even know we would have to answer. There 

are some key issues that we need to begin to learn together. Items such as privacy, 

data security, interoperability, overhead collection costs, and many more. We need 

the leadership of Congress and the Administration to work in partnership with the 

States to continue to fund and support pilot programs to allow us all to learn 

together so that we can be t·eady to support the transportation system of the future. 

9. As you know, Congress has had a difficult time reauthorizing federal transportation 

legislation on time- requiring repeated extensions of the program. What would be the 

impact on your agency if Congress failed to reauthorize the transportation programs on 

time and instead passed a series of short·term extensions? 

Unfortunately, state DOTs have had to deal with extensions each time Congress is 

unable to reauthorize the federal transportation program on time. While AASHTO 

recognizes it can be difficult to reach agreements on policy and funding issues- it is 

important for Congress to understand there are real impacts from extensions. 

In the past, states have reduced their planned transportation investments if there's 

any uncertainty that the federal government will reimburse expenditures. And 

short-term extensions are particularly damaging- as such piecemeal funding 

introduces a lot of instability and unpredictability that keeps states from 

undertaking complex, multi-year projects. By forcing transportation investment 

Page 5 of 12 
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35123.018

programs to be ramped up and down to meet varying short-term deadlines, these 

kinds of delays increase the costs of projects and also delays the delivery of muchneeded transportation projects. 

AASHTO members stand ready to do whatever we can to help Congress reauthorize 

the FAST Act on time. 

10. We arc now in the beginning stages of our work to reauthorize the Federal surface 

transportation programs. As part of these reauthorization discussions, what topics do you 

believe particularly merit in-depth discussions for future hearings? 

There is no shortage of important topics to consider for FAST Act reauthorization. That 

being said, we have identified these topics as the top legislative issues to address: 

• Repeal the $7.6 billion contract authority rescission in the FAST Act. 

• Ensure timely reauthorization of a long-term federal surface transportation hill 

that increases and prioritizes formula-based federal funding provided to states. 

• Ensure strong investment in multimodal transportation by enacting a 

sustainable revenue solution for the Highway Trust Fund. 

• Ensure that a sound national framework to deploy Connected and Automated 

Vehicles (CAV) is developed by building on traditional federal-state-local roles. 

• Foster the development and testing of new, innovative project delivery practices 

by assigning traditionally federal authorities and associated accountability to 

in teres ted states. 

• Allow flexibility to efficiently implement the most effectin safety 

countermeasures. 

11. Technology will continue to drive the future of transportation and infrastructure in this 

country. What can Congress do to foster these kinds of innovations? 

You're absolutely right. Technology is changing everything-from the vehicles we 

use to get around to the way goods arc manufactured and shipped. We can no 

longer expect to build our way out of congestion and instead state DOTs 

increasingly focus on optimizing the transportation system as a whole, getting more 

capacity and value from what we already have. 

These changes require proactive adaptability as state DOTs consider our role as 

owners and operators of critical infrastructure. State DOTs seek innovative 

approaches to improve our transportation system. Evolving and accelerating 

challenges require us to consider new ways to address all our customers' needssome of which are familiar and longstanding and some we undoubtedly are not even 

aware of yet. 

Congress is and should continue to be a partner in the research, development and 

deployment of technology in the transportation sector. But it is important that 

Congress recognize the fast changing nature of technology and not create an 

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atmosphere that discourages innovation. Continued federal financial support for 

research, development and deployment programs is critical. 

It is also important that Congress understand the role that state DOTs play when it 

comes to deploying new technologies. AASHTO members are leading the way in 

areas such as connected and autonomous vehicle development and deployment. 

States have to be a full partner in any discussions at the federal level. 

12. The transportation sector is now the largest contributor of greenhouse gas emissions in 

our economy. At the same time transportation intrastructure is highly vulnerable to the 

impacts of extreme weather. How should the next reauthorization enhance the 

environment and improve sustainability, while also ensuring that communities build 

infrastructure to withstand extreme weather? In your view, what steps should we take to 

ensure that all investments are climate-resilient? How can we incorporate wetlands and 

other natural infrastructure to enhance overall climate resilience where feasible? 

We very much appreciate Congress's interest in ensuring we develop as resilient of 

transportation system as possible to make sure our physical stock is able to adapt 

and respond to changing conditions. To that end, AASHTO runs the Resilient and 

Sustainable Transportation Systems Technical Assistance Program. This is a 

voluntary pooled-fund program that provides timely information, tools, and 

technical assistance to AASHTO members in meeting the difficult challenges that 

arise related to climate change, energy efficiency, energy security, infrastructure 

adaptation, alternative vehicles and fuels, and other relevant topics. This program is 

a critical resource for state DOTs to address climate change and energy issues, while 

also providing the information needed to engage in and influence policy dialogue on 

resiliency at the federal level. 

13. As trustee for American Indians and Alaska Natives, the federal government has a 

responsibility to fulfill its treaty obligations to tribal communities. As we continue our 

work to reauthorize Federal surface transportation programs, we will continue our effmts 

to uphold those trust responsibilities. Can you share any experiences working on 

infrastructure development projects with tribal communities? Can you share challenges or 

barriers, if any, that were encountered during these projects? Are there solutions that you 

would recommend? 

A great example of how AASHTO enhances collaboration between state DOTs and tribal 

governments can be found on our recent "Innovation in Practice" webinar 

recording: 

http://www.financingtransportation.org/capacity building/event details/webinar dots tl'ih 

al collaboration 1018.aspx 

This discussion provided an accessible introduction to transportation funding opportunities 

available to tribal governments by highlighting successful examples of collaboration, 

leadership, and education from states working to build internal capacity to foster 

Page 7 of 12 
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successful partnerships between DOTs and tribal governments. Speakers included 

representatives from state departments of transportation and tribal governments. 

Some of the challenges identified include: 

• Politics of tribal-state relationships sometimes interfere with finding effective 

solutions benefitting tribes, states, counties, other governments and the traveling 

public 

• Waiver of Sovereign Immunity 

• States and local governments (including Tribes) are not familiar with 

mechanisms like 23 USC 202(a)(9) transfer agreements 

That being said, a great example of a tribal transportation project is the road to 

Tanana, Alaska. Opened in 2016, it is the first road to connect a community to the 

state system in more than 20 years. Key elements of success include: 

• Community partnership: 

o City and tribe passed resolutions in support of the road after two 

years of community discussion 

o Alaska DOT &PF designers came to the village several times to meet 

the community 

o Community picked the route 

• Benefits to community 

o Improved personal mobility 

o Lowers cost of freight/ cost of living 

o Opportunities for economic growth 

Senator Boozman: 

14. In the 2011, the Arkansas General Assembly passed a Constitutional Amendment that 

levied a temporary, I 0-year, one-half percent general sales tax increase to fund highway 

improvements. 

• This program is known as the Connecting Arkansas Program, or CAP. 

• This half cent sales tax is expected to generate approximately $170 million in 

highway revenue annually. 

• Up to $1.2 billion in short-term bonds will be issued to help fund construction of, 

or improvements to, major four-lane highways. 

a. Mr. Braceras, in your testimony you mentioned different ways your state 

of Utah has used proceeds from a sales tax and a gas tax to fund surface 

transpmiation infrastructure projects. 

b. What have been the benefits you have seen from Utah taking matters into 

their own hands? 

With the federal share of our Utah transportation budget being only 

22 percent, it has allowed us increased flexibility to apply our federal 

funds on projects that we can deliver with greater efficiency. This 

minimizes the impact that the federal regulations have on our pro,ject 

Page 8 of 12 
27 


35123.021

delivery and allows us to maximize the investment. The value of this 

can be seen when local governments come to us and exchange their 

federal money for state money at 85 cents on the dollar. 

c. And more importantly, what can the federal government do to incentivizc 

states like Arkansas and Utah who are willing to put more skin in the 

game? 

First of all, it is important to note that state and local governments 

provide the bulk of funding for our nation's transportation and water 

infrastructure. In 2017, state and local governments provided 59 

percent of$174 billion in capital outlays as opposed to 41 percent 

from the federal government. Furthermore, state and local 

governments provided 90 percent of $266 billion in operations and 

maintenance outlays that year as opposed to only 10 percent from the 

federal government. 

That being said, in the context of the federal surface transportation 

program, there is no better incentive to states than increased federal 

funding as proven by the construction of the Interstate Highway 

System. The current highway and transit program where the federal 

share ranges from 50 to 90 percent is an important lever to induce 

greater state and local investment in our transportation system. 

15. It has become apparent that modernization and expansion of America's infrastructure 

system is not an option, but a necessity. If we do not act, the United States will no longer 

remain a global economic leader. and will be unable to retain our current standard of 

living. 

a. How can the federal government give states and the private sector, the 

tools necessary to get these important infrastructure projects funded? 

Many of AASHTO's member DOTs appreciate the ability to access 

capital markets to help speed up the delivery of much-needed 

transportation improvements, and many states already rely on 

various forms of financing and procurement ranging from bonding, 

TIFIA credit assistance, state infrastructure banks, and publicprivate partnerships. 

Additional tools that Congress can provide to induce greater private 

sector investment include amending 23 USC Ill to pilot the 

commercialization of rest areas on the Interstate Highway System and 

by eliminating the general tolling prohibition in 23 USC 301 in order 

to maximize user fee-based revenue options for states, to be used 

towards surface transportation infrastructure investments. 

Page 9 of 12 
28 


35123.022

That being said, states fully recognize the inherent limitations of 

financing for the vast spectrum of publicly-valuable transportation 

projects. The reality is that most transportation projects simply 

cannot generate a sufficient revenue stream through tolls, fares, or 

other user fees to service debt or provide return on investment to 

private-sector equity holders. 

The state DOTs continue to support a role for financing and 

procurement tools such as public-private partnerships given their 

ability to not only leverage scarce dollars, but to also better optimize 

project risks between public and private sector partners best suited to 

handle them. But we also maintain that financing instruments in the 

form of subsidized loans like TIFIA, tax-exempt municipal and 

private activity bonds, infrastructure banks, and tax code incentives 

arc insufficient in and of themselves to meet most transportation 

infrastructure investment needs we face. 

16. Aside from providing grants and funding, what can the federal government do to ensure 

that infrastructure is delivered in a timelier and more cost-effective manner? 

A key concept that AASHTO has been working with Congress and the 

Administration over the last few years is the idea of assigning more of the 

traditional federal authorities to states. State DOTs have a tremendous amount of 

experience in carrying out the federal program. This means for states interested, if 

there are opportunities to reduce "check-in" points with the federal agency during 

project development and delivery, they would be happy to take on the federal 

responsibility and be held accountable for outcomes. A great example is 

reexamining the Stewardship and Oversight agreements that each state has with 

their local FHW A Division Office. 

Senator Duckworth: 

17. The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TOOT) recently decided to increase the 

number of full-time equivalents (FTEs) undertaking construction inspections on the 

State's transportation projects. At recent congressional hearing, TOOT's commissioner 

reported that despite increasing TOOT's FTE by 500, the agency achieved a net savings 

of$43 million annually, which was reinvested into projects across the State. 

Recognizing that every state is unique and manages its Federal aid highway program 

differently, at a time when Congress is considering solutions to address the projected 

shortfall in the Highway Trust Fund and increase infrastructure investment. TOOT's 

decision seems to be an effective way of stretching available funds and prioritizing 

infrastructure investments. 

Page 10 of 12 
29 


35123.023

a. From a human capital planning perspective, to what extent do state DOTs 

consider the short- and long-term costs to taxpayers associated with the 

hiring of FTEs versus external consultants? 

Each state has unique considerations when it comes to human capital 

planning and implementation. That being said, the California 

Department of Transportation's report entitled Comparing In-House 

Staff and Consultant Costs for High way Design and Construction 

provides important considerations that can be relevant for any state 

DOT around the country. 

(http://www .dot.ca .gov I resca rch/ resca rch reports/preliminary in vestig 

ations/docs/consultant vs staff cost preliminarv investigation 7-15-

ll.pdO 

The Caltrans' study's findings-which doesn't necessary represent 

the AASHTO position-are as follows: 

"We looked for more recent publications to identify the cost 

implications of outsourcing in the current environment. Virtually all 

of the publications we located emphasize the challenges associated 

with making accurate and comprehensive cost comparisons. 

While we found reports that support both cases-state DOTsponsored projects that conclude consultants cost more than in-house 

staff contrast with reports commissioned by trade associations that 

indicate the use of consultants is the mot·e cost-effective option-a 

greater number of reports support the assertion that generally, inhouse services cost less than contracting out. 

While many reports address the cost question, we found that costs are 

not the overriding factor in deciding to outsource. Other reasons, such 

as expediting project delivery and managing workload, take 

precedence over cost." 

b. Are you aware of any independent analysis that suggests an increased 

reliance on outside consultants is more cost effective than the use of 

FTEs? If so, please reference that analysis in your response. 

Transportation Research Board's National Cooperative Highway 

Research Program synthesis report entitled "State DOT Outsourcing 

and Private-Sector Utilization" 

(http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepuhs/nchrp/nchrp svn 313.pdD 

notes the following: 

"Determining if the outsourcing is effective or successful depends on 

the goals and objectives of the effort. If the schedule is of paramount 

Page 11 of 12 
30 


35123.024

Senator Fischer: 

importance, then a contractor that delivers on that schedule has been 

successful. In some cases, legal issues arise and a contractor that 

complies with such requirements is successful. If a project is complex 

and requires special skills or equipment, then a contractor that offers 

these and completes the project has been successful. Ultimately, 

effectiveness or success is defined by the agency outsourcing the 

activity in question." 

c. Does UDOT have a process in place to evaluate the costs and benefits of 

outsourcing design, engineering or construction inspection activities? 

In Utah we work to maintain what we call our core competencies. Our 

fundamental responsibility is to assure that we are getting a fair 

return on the taxpayers investment. \Ve outsource over 90 percent of 

our design activities and over 60 percent of our construction 

engineering. This allows us to utilize the private sector as our 

program varies over time. We provide a level playing field for the 

private sector to compete, this results in innovative design and 

construction. 

18. The Federal Highway Administration currently issues eligibility letters for roadside 

safety hardware, such as highway barriers, which states use to confirm that the hardware 

had been tested. However, FHW A has stated that it will stop issuing eligibility letters for 

roadside safety hardware in December 2019. This is a concern for stales that rely on 

these letters to certify compliance with crash-test standards. If FHW A does stop issuing 

eligibility letters, what effect would that have on state acquisition of roadside safety 

hardware? 

Without FHWA's federal-aid eligibility letters, potential concerns include whether 

states and other transportation agencies have the necessary in-house technical 

expertise to conduct reviews of roadside safety hardware crash test results, and 

from a manufacturer's perspective, whether each state's review process and 

determination of compliance with crash test guidelines will be consistent with all of 

the others. AASHTO and FHWA continue to work together to identify a national 

solution that ensures consistent evaluation and deployment of these devices to 

ultimately improve highway safety. 

Page 12 of 12 
31 

Senator BARRASSO. Well, thank you very much for sharing your 

best thoughts. We appreciate your comments. 

Now, Mr. Lanham. 

STATEMENT OF ROBERT LANHAM, VICE PRESIDENT, 

ASSOCIATED GENERAL CONTRACTORS OF AMERICA 

Mr. LANHAM. Chairman Barrasso, Ranking Member Carper, and 

distinguished Committee members, thank you for convening today’s 

hearing. 

My name is Bob Lanham. I am a highway and bridge builder 

from Houston, Texas. I have the pleasure this year of serving as 

vice president of AGC. AGC is a national organization of 26,500 

businesses that are involved in every aspect of the construction 

business in all 50 States, Puerto Rico, and Washington, DC. AGC 

members build the Nation’s infrastructure; its highways, bridges, 

airports, transit systems, rail facilities, and other transportation 

projects that keep America moving. 

Mr. Chairman, in my written testimony I stress several themes. 

The main overarching theme is that the time for infrastructure investment is now. 

As the Committee knows, there has been much talk at the White 

House and on Capitol Hill over the last 2 years about investing in 

and upgrading the Nation’s infrastructure. While the Congress has 

moved infrastructure authorizations and provided new investment 

for current Federal infrastructure programs, more needs to be 

done. 

The American people, President Trump, bipartisan Members of 

Congress, and those of us in the stakeholder community have all 

expressed support and the need for a bold and robust infrastructure vision. There is no reason not to invest in our infrastructure 

now. 

AGC has long recognized and advocated for the need to invest in 

more types of infrastructure, from highways, roads, and bridges, to 

runways and water systems. As such, we have recommended to the 

Congress and the Administration that any new infrastructure plan 

should be broad based. However, we should caution that any new 

proposal must not ignore one of the gravest threats to the transportation investment in this Nation: the long term solvency of the 

Highway Trust Fund. 

Shortly after the FAST Act expires in September 2020, additional revenue of some $20 billion per year will be needed just to 

maintain current funding levels. Failing to address the Fund’s solvency ongoing revenue shortfall leaves open the possibility of disruption and uncertainty for States, as well as the construction industry. AGC urges the Congress and the Administration to act 

sooner, rather than later. 

In the past funding uncertainties and short term extensions have 

led to project delays, cancellations, higher costs, delays of improvements that affect safety, efficiency, and economic development. If 

in fact the Congress acts on a broad based infrastructure bill, and 

we hope you do, failure to address the structural flaws in the Highway Trust Fund will undermine any potential benefits from such 

bill. 

32 

Increasing the motor fuels tax is the simplest and most effective 

way to achieve this goal, but several other viable revenue alternatives exist. We believe the Highway Trust Fund revenue construct must include three things: one, a reliable, dedicated, and 

sustainable revenue source derived from the users and the beneficiaries of our surface transportation system; two, resources sufficient to end the chronic shortfalls and support increased investment; and three, be dedicated solely to surface transportation improvements. 

Adhering to these principles would assure the States and the 

Federal Government that we will continue to be a reliable partner 

with the States and local governments in the funding and delivering of a safe transportation network that meets our Nation’s 

needs, both economic and growth. 

Further, as the Congress potentially considers a comprehensive 

infrastructure proposal, it is important to recognize that two previous authorizations, the FAST Act and its predecessor, MAP–21, 

both reformed the Federal surface transportation programs in a 

manner that emphasized meeting national goals, while providing 

States flexibility. Given this admirable policy achievement, we do 

not need to create new programs or add additional procedures to 

deliver additional surface transportation investments as a part of 

any infrastructure initiative. 

To quite simply put it, our recommendation is for the Congress 

and the Administration to take this generational opportunity that 

presents itself in a broad, robust infrastructure bill to once and for 

all end the cycle of short term extensions and provide growing revenue to address our needs. This newfound certainty and the additional investments should allow for the reauthorization of the 

FAST Act prior to its expiration in 2020. 

Unfortunately, none of the themes in my testimony are new. I 

imagine that you have heard them before, time and time again. 

But what is different today is leaders on both ends of the spectrum 

are supportive of such a proposal, and this Committee and its leaders are an essential component in making this happen. 

I am thankful for the opportunity to testify today and look forward to any questions you might have. 

[The prepared statement of Mr. Lanham follows:] 

33 


35123.025

Robert "Bob" Lanham 

Vice President 

Associated General Contractors of America 

Bob is a native Texan and a US Army veteran. He is a 1981 

honors graduate of Texas A&M University with a Bachelor of 

Science Degree in Civil Engineering. Bob was a member of the 

Corps of Cadets and is an alumnus of Chi Epsilon and Tau Beta 

Pi. He is a registered professional engineer. In 2015, Texas 

A&M recognized Bob as a Distinguished Graduate of the 

Department of Civil Engineering. 

Bob started out as Project Engineer with Williams Brothers in 1985 upon separation 

from the US Army. Over the next 30 years, he worked in virtually every aspect of the 

business ranging from project management, estimating and contract administration. In 

January 2013, Bob was named President. 

Bob is a life member of the AGC of America's Board of Governors. Over his AGC 

career through various positions has been privileged to serve 8 years on the AGC of 

America's Board of Directors (formerly Executive Board). In 2006, he served as 

Chairman of AGC of America's Highway and Transportation Division. Bob has served 

two terms as the President of the AGC of Texas (2000 and 2011 ). He has chaired and 

served on dozens of AGC committees and taskforces over his career at the state and 

national levels. Bob served as the chairman of The Road Information Program (TRIP) 

in 2006 and continues to serve on its Executive Committee. 
34 


35123.026

Statement of 

Robert Lanham 

President 

Williams Brothers Construction Co., Inc. 

For 

The Associated General Contractors of America 

to the 

United States Senate 

Committee on Environment and Public Works 

For a hearing on 

"Addressing America's Surface Transportation Infrastructure 

Needs" 

November 28, 2018 

AGC of America 

THE ASSOCIATED GENERAL CONTRACTORS OF AMERICA 

Quality People. Quality Projects. 

The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) is the largest and oldest national 

construction trade association in the United States. AGC represents more than 26,500 firms, 

including America's leading general contractors and specialty-contracting firms. Many of the 

nation's service providers and suppliers are associated with AGC through a nationwide network of 

chapters. AGC contractors are engaged in the construction of the nation's commercial buildings, 

shopping centers, factories, warehouses, highways, bridges, tunnels, airports, waterworks 

facilities, waste treatment facilities, levees, locks, dams, water conservation projects, defense 

facilities, multi-family housing projects, and more. 

2300 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 300 • Arlington, VA 22201 • Phone: (703) 548-3118 
35 


35123.027

Statement of AGC Vice President Robert lanham 

President 

Williams Brothers Construction Co., Inc. 

Houston, Texas 

Senate Committee on the Environment & Public Works 

On the topic of 

Addressing America's Surface Transportation Infrastructure Needs 

November 28, 2018 

Chairman Barrasso, Ranking Member Carper and members ofthe Senate Environment and Public Works 

Committee, thank you for inviting me here today. My name is Bob Lanham. I am a highway and bridge 

builder from Houston, Texas and currently serve as the Vice President of the Associated General 

Contractors of America (AGC). AGC is a national organization representing 26,500 businesses involved in 

every aspect of construction activity in aliSO states, Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C. AGC members 

build highways, bridges, airports, transit systems, rail facilities and other transportation projects that 

keep America running. 

In my testimony, I will stress the following themes: 

The time for infrastructure investment is now; 

The U.S. transportation infrastructure system's needs cannot sustain a status quo approach to 

investment; 

The economic benefits oftransportation infrastructure investment are well-documented; 

Continued federal, state and local partnership is critical to the success of our national transportation 

system; 

• A broad infrastructure package must include a sustainable, long-term solution to funding the 

Highway Trust Fund; and 

Further improving the environmental review and permitting process is necessary. 

None of these themes are new. In fact, I imagine that you have heard them before, time and time again. 

What's different today, however, is that leaders on both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue and on all ends of 

the political spectrum agree that the addressing our nation's transportation infrastructure is the top 

priority for the new Congress. And, this committee and its leaders are an essential component to making 

this priority a reality. That is why I not only feel grateful to be here, but hopeful that my words will ring 

true and help lay the foundation for your successfully passing a broad infrastructure package. 

2 
36 


35123.028

The Time for Infrastructure Investment is NOW 

Addressing our nation's infrastructure needs, and transportation infrastructure in particular, has no 

partisan bounds. America's transportation system impacts our daily lives whether we live in rural 

communities or in great urban meccas. It effects everything from our ability to get to work to the cost 

and availability of the products we rely on both in our personal lives and in our businesses. Further, to 

the global competitiveness of our nation's economy. Investing in our nation's transportation 

infrastructure has traditionally enjoyed bipartisan support. President Trump and leaders in the 11S'h 

Congress-including members of this committee-made investing in infrastructure a top priority. 

Although, a robust and broad infrastructure bill remained elusive for now, AGC applauds the efforts of 

the Senate and your colleagues in the House of Representatives in passing a host of legislation that will 

help maintain our infrastructure, including America's Water Infrastructure Act, the Federal Aviation 

Administration Reauthorization, Federal Emergency Management Agency Reauthorization and disaster 

relief legislation. In addition, Congress recognized the need to shore up federal infrastructure 

investment by providing an additional $10 billion in FY 2018 for transportation infrastructure programs 

above the levels contained in the Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act). 

Now is the time to build on these legislative successes and quickly address our transportation needs 

when the 116'h Congress convenes. Even as this committee prepares to reauthorize the FAST Act, a 

broad infrastructure package could provide an important earlier opportunity to address many issues 

impacting our nation's surface transportation network. Among the issues, priority should be given to 

providing the revenue or funding necessary to achieve the long-term solvency and stability of the 

Highway Trust Fund. Any new surface transportation investments made as part of a robust 

infrastructure bill should be distributed among existing FAST Act programs. Allocating resources in this 

manner would ensure that they have the greatest impact on our transportation infrastructure network 

and our economy as a whole. 

Public opinion clearly suggests that infrastructure spending is broadly popular. Recent Gallup polling 

shows that Americans support substantial infrastructure spending: more than six in ten Americans (64 

percent) in March 2017 agreed with the President's proposal to enact a $1 trillion program to improve 

U.S. infrastructure, including roads, bridges and tunnels. A year earlier, in March 2016, an even larger 

majority of Americans (75 percent) said they support spending more federal money to improve 

infrastructure. In addition to winning broad national support, transportation infrastructure renewal 

sparked majority support from both major parties last year. 

The U.S. Transportation Infrastructure System's Needs Cannot Sustain a 

Status Quo Approach to Investment 

Despite the importance of transportation investment to the U.S. economy there is much need for 

improvement and growth. For example, the 2015 American Association of State Highway and 

Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Transportation Bottom Line Report found that annual investment in 

the nation's roads, highways and bridges needs to increase from $88 billion to $120 billion and from $17 

billion to $43 billion for the nation's public transit systems to improve conditions and meet the nation's 

mobility needs. The investment backlog for transportation infrastructure continues to increase, reaching 
37 


35123.029

$836 billion for highways and bridges and $122 billion for transit according to the U.S. Department of 

Transportation. The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) has identified a $1.1 trillion funding gap 

for surface transportation between 2016 and 2025. 

Americans' use of our transportation systems underscores the necessity to close these funding gaps. The 

Road Information Program (TRIP) reports, for instance, that increases in vehicle travel since 2000 have 

resulted in a significant increase in wear and tear on the nation's roads. Vehicle travel growth, which 

slowed significantly because of the Great Recession and subsequent slow economic recovery, has since 

returned to pre-recession growth rates. From 2000 to 2016, vehicle travel in the U.S. increased by 16 

percent. The rate of growth in vehicle miles traveled has accelerated since 2013, increasing by six 

percent between 2013 and 2016. Travel by large commercial trucks, which place significant stress on 

paved road and highway surfaces, continues to increase at a rate approximately double the rate for all 

vehicles, and is anticipated to continue to grow at a significant rate through 2030. Travel by large 

commercial trucks in the U.S. increased by 29 percent from 2000 to 2016. The level of heavy truck travel 

nationally is anticipated to increase by approximately 56 percent from 2018 to 2045, putting greater 

stress on the nation's roadways, 

From coast to coast, major streets and freeways are showing significant signs of distress. Reports 

provided by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) based on data submitted annually by state 

departments of transportation on the condition of major state and locally maintained roads and 

highways uncover a litany of troublesome facts, including: 

Forty-four percent of America's major roads are in poor or mediocre condition. 

One-third of the nation's major urban roadways-highways and major streets that are the main 

routes for commuters and commerce-are in poor condition. These critical links in the nation's 

transportation system carry 70 percent of the approximately 3.2 trillion miles driven annually in 

America. 

Forty-five percent of America's major urban interstates experience congestion during peak 

hours. Traffic congestion costs American motorists $170 billion a year in wasted time and fuel 

costs. 

The nation's population grew by 15 percent from 2000 to 2017 while new road mileage 

increased by only five percent. 

Driving on roads in need of repair costs U.S. motorists $130 billion a year in extra vehicle repairs 

and operating costs- $599 per motorist. 

With these worrisome facts in mind, we must remember that our transportation infrastructure needs do 

not discriminate between rural and urban America. Many of the transportation challenges facing rural 

America are like those in urbanized areas. However, rural residents tend to be more heavily reliant on 

their limited transportation network-primarily rural roads and highways-than their counterparts in 

more urban areas. Residents of rural areas often must travel longer distances to access education, 

employment, retail locations, social opportunities and health services. As the Department of 

Transportation (USDOT) reported: 

In 2015, 15 percent of the nation's major rural roads (arterials and collectors) were rated in poor 

condition 21 percent were rated in mediocre condition, 16 percent were rated in fair condition 

and 48 percent were rated in good condition. 

4 
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35123.030

In 2016, 10 percent of the nation's rural bridges were rated as structurally deficient. 

Furthermore, a concern in the rural areas of our country is motorist safety. As TRIP points out, "[t]he 

higher traffic fatality rate found on rural, non-Interstate routes is a result of multiple factors, including a 

lack of desirable roadway safety features, longer emergency vehicle response times, and the higher 

speeds traveled on rural roads compared to urban roads." Many of the safety deficiencies on rural roads 

can be fixed. These include narrow lanes, limited shoulders, sharp curves, exposed hazards, pavement 

drop-offs, steep slopes and limited clear zones along roadsides. 

As articulated above, the needs of our nation's transportation infrastructure system are great and 

extensively catalogued. Nonetheless, so too are the tremendous benefits of sufficiently investing in this 

system. 

The Economic Benefits of Transportation Infrastructure Investment are 

Well-Documented 

The positive relationship between transportation capital investment, economic output and private 

sector productivity has been well documented for decades by business analysts, economists and the 

research community. A safe, reliable and efficient transportation network helps businesses increase 

access to labor and materials, increase market share, expand customer base, reduce production costs, 

access global markets and foster innovation. A 2017 study performed for NAIOP-the Commercial Real 

Estate Development Association-by Professor Stephen Fuller of George Mason University found the 

$1.16 trillion in construction spending in 2016: 

• Contributed $3.4 trillion to U.S. GDP. 

• Generated $1.1 trillion in new personal earnings. 

• Supported a total of 23.8 million jobs throughout the U.S. economy 

Transportation investment also drives technology advances. Advances made in autonomous vehicle 

technology is driven by transportation needs and, once available commercially, will rely on a good 

transportation network to operate safely and efficiently. There has been a technology boom in 

transportation construction that is increasing productivity and enhancing quality. 

Contractors are making widespread use of drones, estimating and project management software, 

automated machine guidance systems on equipment, 3D modeling, paperless projects, E-construction, 

precast-slide in bridges and the list goes on. Most of this technology is developed and manufactured in 

the United States. New materials and treatments are being developed to lengthen the life of the 

infrastructure once put in place. Enhancing critical transportation assets will boost the economy in the 

short-term by creating jobs in construction and related fields. 

In the longer-term these improvements will enhance economic competitiveness and improve quality of 

life by reducing travel delays and transportation costs, improving access and mobility, improving safety, 

and stimulating sustained job growth. 
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35123.031

Continued Federal, State and Local Partnership is Critical to 

the Success of our National Transportation System 

The partnership between federal, state and local governments is essential to our transportation 

infrastructure. This partnership is as important as ever and must be continued for our country to meet 

the transportation needs of our growing economy. As such, state and local governments have taken it 

upon themselves to raise revenue to supplement their respective programs in the absence of new 

federal investment. 

According to the USDOT's 2015 Conditions and Performance report, state and local governments 

provided 80 percent of $217 billion invested in state and local road-related programs and 74 percent of 

$43 billion invested in transit-related programs compared to 20 percent and 26 percent, respectively, 

contributed by the federal government. States continue to make significant commitments to invest in 

transportation infrastructure as evidenced by successful enactment of transportation revenue packages 

in 33 states since 2012. Unfortunately, the federal government has not kept up its end of the bargain by 

failing to adjust the user fees that provide funding for much of our federal surface transportation 

investments. 

Federal leadership and commitment is crucial to ensuring the continued success of this long-standing 

partnership. The certainty of federal investments allows state departments of transportation (DOTs) to 

make needed investments in the major freight corridors that drive national and regional economic 

growth. The one million miles of roadways eligible for the federal aid highway program account for 25 

percent of total miles but carry 84 percent of all traffic. The 48,000 miles of the Interstate Highway 

System, which is the backbone of the U.S. economy, carries 25 percent of all traffic, including over half 

of the miles driven by freight trucks delivering goods across the country. Federal investment also 

accounts for 82 percent of rural and 64 percent of urban transit agency capital outlays, in infrastructure 

and rolling stock. Federal-aid funding remains critical to state-level capital investment in highways and 

bridges, averaging 52 percent of that state investment in recent years. 

Highway accessibility was ranked the number one site selection factor in a 2017 survey of corporate 

executives by Area Development Magazine. Labor costs and the availability of skilled labor, which are 

both impacted by a site's level of accessibility, were rated second and third, respectively. Seventy-three 

percent of the $27.7 trillion worth of commodities shipped to and from sites in the U.S. is transported by 

trucks on the nation's highways. An additional14 percent is delivered by rail, water, parcel, U.S. Postal 

Service or courier, which use multiple modes, including highways. 

A Broad Infrastructure Package Must include a Sustainable, Long-term Solution 

to Funding the Highway Trust Fund 

6 
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35123.032

The FAST Act expires on September 30, 2020. AGC urges Congress to use the opportunity provided by a 

broad infrastructure package to fix the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) and look at ways to enhance the 

existing federal transportation infrastructure programs. While the FAST Act was a welcome reprieve 

from the uncertainty created by the many delays and short-term reauthorization extensions that led up 

to its passage, it still left a great deal of uncertainty about future surface transportation investments. 

The FAST Act temporarily stabilized federal highway and public transportation investment by 

transferring $70 billion from the General Fund of the U.S. Treasury to supplement an estimated $208 

billion in HTF revenue from existing sources over the five-year duration of the bill. 

Soon after the FAST Act expires, additional revenue of some $20 billion per year will be needed just to 

maintain current funding levels. Failing to address the HTF's ongoing revenue shortfa II leaves open the 

possibility of disruptive uncertainty for states and the construction industry leading up to and after the 

expiration of the FAST Act. Without an extension and new revenue, AASHTO estimates that states will 

see about a SO percent reduction in highway funding from FY 2020 to the following year and $47 billion 

to $23 billion in FY 2021. We urge you to act sooner rather than later. In the past, failure to meet the 

deadline resulted in numerous short-term extensions that caused project delays and cancellations, 

higher costs and delay of improvements affecting safety, efficiency and economic development 

Federal Motor Fuels and Diesel User Fees 

With the hope that the legislation will not just keep the country treading water but will instead provide 

the kind of investment needed to propel our economy into the future, AGC urges you to provide real, 

reliable, dedicated and sustainable revenue sources derived from the users and beneficiaries of the 

system for the Highway Trust Fund that supports increased federal surface transportation investments. 

Additionally, any new revenue should be dedicated solely to surface transportation improvements and 

preferably distributed through the current federal highway and transit programs. AGC's preferred 

method to address the solvency of the HTF is an increase in the federal motor fuels tax-something that 

has not been done since 1993-of 25 cents for both gasoline and diesel. Recognizing the growing 

number of electric and hybrid vehicles, we also recommend Congress consider fees or charges that 

would ensure these vehicles pay into the system they use. For example, consideration should be given 

to imposing an annual registration fee for electric and hybrid vehicles. 

Vehicle Miles Traveled or Mileage Based User Fees 

In 2009, the National Surface Transportation Infrastructure Commission concluded that the U.S. needs a 

new approach to transportation infrastructure financing. The commission specifically notes that 

"[d]direct user charges are the most viable and sustainable long term- user pay option for the Federal 

government." There, the commission recommended moving to a vehicle miles traveled (VMT) fee or 

mileage-based user fee {MBUF). The VMT is a user charge based on miles driven in a specific vehicle as 

opposed to the current excise tax on fuel consumed. At its simplest, the fee would be cents per mile. A 

VMTwould ensure that all users are paying their "fair share" to keep roads and bridges in a state of 

good repair regardless ofthe type of vehicle they drive. 

7 
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35123.033

To make it work on a national scale, a VMT system needs to be tested, piloted and refined at the state 

and local level. In the FAST Act, Congress provided some $95 million to states to undertake pilot 

programs to look at implementation of a VMT fee. Numerous states are currently undertaking these 

studies and they are showing positive results. The VMT seems to make sense as a future replacement 

for the motor fuels tax but is not ready for implementation just yet. We urge you to continue to provide 

assistance to states to continue these pilots. The next step should be to build on the results of these 

state pilots and institute a national pilot program. 

Public Private Partnerships 

Public Private Partnerships (P3s) have been given much emphasis in the past few years. Clearly, there is 

a place for P3s in addressing current and future transportation needs. P3s bring additional financing to 

the table to address transportation needs that would not be there without federal encouragement. In 

addition, P3s shift risk away from state DOTs and bring new players into the operations and 

maintenance mix. However, P3s are not the one and only answer to the funding shortfall. Only certain 

types of projects may attract P3 development. These are primarily revenue generating projects based in 

largely in dense urban areas. While encouragement for P3s should continue, it must be understood that 

they are an enhancement and not the solution to the funding shortfall. 

Further Improving the Environmental Review and Permitting Process 

AGC is very appreciative for the work this committee has undertaken in helping enact bipartisan 

environmental reforms in MAP-21 and the FAST Act. But more work can be done and improvements 

upon those enacted reforms can be made. 

AGC members have pointed to a host oftechnical and procedural problems that government agencies 

face, in general, during document preparation and interagency reviews: they inevitably lead to 

inconsistencies in the environmental approval process, schedule delays and costs overruns. Such 

uncertainty spurs legal challenges, which can ultimately threaten the viability of the project. AGC has 

worked closely with the current Administration and supports their efforts to further improve the 

environmental review and permitting process. Additionally, we have shared our extensive 

environmental recommendations to the House and Senate in testimony or statements for the record'. 

Three of these reforms that would have substantial positive impacts are: 

1 The Assoctated General Contractors of America to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Small Business for a 

hearing on "Evaluating the Paperwork Reduction Act: Are Burdens Being Reduced?", March 29, 2017; (2) The Associated 

Genera! Contractors of .A.merlca to the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works for a hearing on 

1

'lnfrastructure Project Streamlining and Efficiency: Achieving Faster, Better, and Cheaper Results", May 3, 2017; {3) The 

Associated Genera! Contractors of America to the U.S. House of Representatives' Committee on Small Business for a hearing on 

"Expediting Economic Growth: How Streamlining Federal Permitting Can Cut Red Tape for Small Businesses", September 6, 

2017; (4} The Associated General Contractors of America to the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental 

Affairs' Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations for a hearing on "Cutting Through the Red Tape: Oversight of Fed era~ 

Infrastructure Permitting and the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council", September 7, 2017; and (5) The 

Asso.~iat('d General Contractors of America to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and 

Infrastructure Subco~~itt;~ on Water Resources and Environment for a hearing on "America's Water Resources 

Infrastructure: Approaches to Enhanced Project De!lvery", January 18, 2018. 

8 
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35123.034

First, require a merger of the National Environmental Policy Act and Clean Water Act 404 

permitting processes with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issuing permits at the end of the 

process, using the NEPA-generated information; 

Second, allow the monitoring, mitigation and other environmental planning work performed 

during the NEPA process, and included the final Environmental Impact Statement/ Record 

of Decision, to satisfy federal environmental permitting requirements, unless there is a 

material change in the project; and 

Third, develop a reasonable and measured approach to citizen suit reform to prevent 

misuse of environmental laws. 

Conclusion 

Mr. Chairman, thank you again for convening today's hearing, your leadership and for allowing AGCto 

participate. The role of our national transportation system in supporting U.S. competitiveness and our 

quality of life cannot be understated. Transportation impacts the daily lives of citizens and businesses in 

every state in the Union. The American public recognizes the need to improve our system and bring it 

back to world class status. 

A golden opportunity is before the Congress. At a time when it seems there is little we all agree on, 

infrastructure may prove to be the missing link. I urge this committee to take advantage of this 

opportunity. An important step Congress can take is to fix the Highway Trust Fund. Providing a reliable, 

dedicated and sustainable revenue source derived from the users and beneficiaries of the 

transportation system to not only address the annual shortage but allow for robust future investments is 

key. Please don't put off this debate until later. The longer we wait the more difficult the solution 

becomes. You have shown great leadership in not waiting until the new Congress convenes before 

holding this hearing. Please continue that leadership and work with your colleagues here in the Senate 

and over in the House to allow such legislation to move forward. Again, thank you for your time and 

consideration. 

9 
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35123.035

Response of Robert Lanham on behalf of the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) to questions for 

the record posed by Members of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee following the November 

28, 2018 hearing entitled, "Addressing America's Surface Transportation Infrastructure Needs." 

Chairman Barrasso: 

1. We heard from a number of State DOTs earlier in this Congress that the Department of Transportation's 

non-environmental regulatory processes and requirements could be reduced to give states more 

flexibility to focus on priority tasks and accelerate the delivery of infrastructure projects. Can you provide 

your thoughts on reducing regulatory burdens for non-environmental regulatory processes and 

requirements? 

The Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program began in 1985 and has been reauthorized in each 

transportation authorization with little Congressional scrutiny. Over the past several years US DOT has 

issued new DBE program regulations that have increased the compliance burden for both prime 

contractors and DBEs which are costly to meet and can cause project delays. Efforts to improve program 

administration should be implemented including: 

Recommendations for DBE Program Reforms: 

Clarify requirements for compliance with complicated, confusing and often contradictory requirements. 

Specific areas of concern are best faith effort requirements, commercially useful function determinations 

and DBE certification procedures. 

Provide more transparency in goal setting and disparity study requirements. 

Put more emphasis on business development aspects of the program, including enhancing supportive 

services funding to assist DBE business strength. 

Establish one DOT wide definition of "small business concern" based on existing Small Business 

Administration (SBA) size standard criteria that applies to all categories of work undertaken by DBEs. All 

DOT modes, including the Federal Highway Administration, Federal Transit Administration and Federal 

Aviation Administration would use the same size criteria. 

2. Are there any further ways that the U.S. Department of Transportation could use their programs to 

encourage innovation, or remove regulatory or policy barriers to innovation? 

Congress created the Technology and Innovation Deployment Program to fund efforts to accelerate the 

implementation and delivery of new innovations and technologies that result from highway research and 

development to benefit all aspects of highway transportation. This program has promise and could be 

used to incentivize contractors to bring new technologies, innovative construction means, methods and 

materials into the market place. On design-build and CMGC procurements contractors theoretically have 

an ·,ncenflve to bring these alternative technical concepts and technologies to the table. This same 

incentive could be offered to encourage contractors in the competitive bid arena to offer these new 

ideas. Attempts to earmark this funding for specific proprietary technologies or materials should be 

avoided to allow the competitive market to work. 

3. Press reports indicate that state DOTs and contractors are having trouble attracting qualified workers. Is 

this a workforce development problem or is there a shortage of workers generally? 

The workforce issue is both a development and shortage problem. The 2008-2010 recession lead to a 

collapse of the construction market. As the market declined workers left the industry and moved on to 

other industries. Attracting those workers back and finding new workers with the necessary skills and the 
44 


35123.036

interest in construction careers are the challenges facing the industry. For the past five years AGC has 

undertaken an annual workforce availability survey. This year's survey found that 93% of the 2552 

respondents said they would like to hire new hourly craft personnel to meet their backlog of project 

needs or to replace retirees. However, eighty percent said they were having difficulty finding craft 

workers and 56 percent are having difficulty filling salaried positions. The current booming economy and 

low unemployment rate has made the problem far worse. 

AGC responded to this concern with a Workforce Development Plan in 2016 advocating a skills agenda 

targeted at bringing new entrants into the industry and has had success in getting many of the 

recommendations implemented, including: 

Getting Congress to enact a new federal career and technical education bill that boosts funding and 

increases flexibility to make it easier for education officials to set up construction focused high school 

programs. AGC has also been successful in getting reforms in the 2016 Workforce Innovation & 

Opportunities Act and in getting the Trump Administration to focus on the need to enhance 

apprenticeship training opportunities. 

Many of our AGC chapters have recruiting and training programs either independently or in conjunction 

with technical schools. In addition, AGC is working with FHWA and AASHTO on recruitment/training pilot 

programs. 

Most companies in our survey report they are investing in their work force by paying higher wages and 

benefits to retain and attract workers in both categories, including paying incentives and bonuses to 

attract and retain their workers. Nearly half of the respondents said they have initiated in-house training 

programs and as many are involved with high school and college career building programs. 

4. If Congress is able to fund a substantial increase in highway funding, does the highway construction 

industry have the capacity to expand production without unduly raising costs? 

History shows that the industry is capable of growing to meet market demands. Since the start of the 

interstate highway program the market has gone through up and down gyrations but the industry has 

always grown to meet the needs. Competition leads to increased productivity gains as firms looks for 

advantages to make them more successful in procuring contracts. A growing transportation construction 

market allows contractors to make investments in equipment, technology and worker training which 

helps them to be more productive thus reducing construction costs. Taxpayer benefit by receiving 

improved infrastructure delivered in a cost-efficient manner. 

A steady and increasing highway construction market is a key factor in growing and maintaining a welltrained workforce. Workers are attracted when they know there is are steady, reliable jobs ava'>lable and 

that there are opportunities for growth both in wages and career opportunities. Contractors are willing to 

make the investment needed in training, including training in new technologies, when they feel confident 

that the market will support that investment. Contractors will continue to do what is necessary to retain 

and grow their workforce to meet market demands. a new generation of worker career opportunities 

with long term benefits. 
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35123.037

Ranking Member Carper: 

5. As you mentioned in your testimony, contractors are using a wide range of new technologies in 

transportation construction, such as drones, 30 modeling, project management software, and precast 

bridges. Have these innovations led to reductions in construction costs for transportation projects? 

There has been an explosion in technology applications for the construction industry and contractors are 

adopting them as part of their operations. Contractors are always looking for ways to be more productive 

and lower their costs. The competition in the industry requires each company to look for ways to lower 

their costs. Project owners benefit from this competition through lower costs and faster project delivery. 

6. As you know, Congress has had a difficult time reauthorizing federal transportation legislation on timerequiring repeated extensions of the program. What would be the impact on your businesses if Congress 

failed to reauthorize the transportation programs on time and instead passed a series of short-term 

extensions? 

Nothing is more detrimental to the industry than the on-again, off- again market gyrations that occur 

when the Federal transportation authorization legislation is not in place. Without certainty in the 

Federal program, states cut back on project lettings and tend to favor short term maintenance projects 

rather than major improvement projects. This flows down to the construction industry and creates 

resource and cash management problems for contractors. Contractors are unwilling and unable to make 

investments in equipment, new technology and worker training when there is so much market 

uncertainty. Retaining a workforce under these circumstances is a problem. It is important that Congress 

act swiftly to reauthorize the FAST Act before it expires and finds the revenue necessary to stabilize the 

Highway Trust Fund and provide steady and significant growth in annual funding moving forward. 

As an example my company, Williams Brothers Construction was forced to lay off one third of our work 

force in 2010 due to the significant decline in the construction market resulting from the recession. 

Congress enacted the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) in 2008 which double funding in 

the Federal-aid Highway program for one year. While this funding helped the industry on a short-time 

basis by extending the need for layoffs, the short-term nature of the funding did not allow firms to make 

long term commitments. A steady growing market is far preferable to the peaks and valleys of funding. 

7. Technology will continue to drive the future of transportation and infrastructure in this country. What 

can Congress do to foster these kinds of innovations? 

The construction industry has a huge incentive to adopt new technologies to remain competitive. 

Contractors are always striving to be more efficient by doing more with less while improving quality and 

ensuring worker safety. Congress should not attempt to decide or be influenced to select what 

technologies are the best or which ones should be used. Incentives that allow the industry to try new 

applications should be used to encourage experimentation. 

8. As trustee for American Indians and Alaska Natives, the federal government has a responsibility to fulfill 

its treaty obllgations to tribal communities. As we continue our work to reauthorize Fed era! surface 

transportation programs, we will continue our efforts to uphold those trust responsibilities. Can you 

share any experiences working on infrastructure development projects with tribal communities? Can you 

share challenges or barriers, if any, that were encountered during these projects? Are there solutions 

that you would recommend? 

AGC has not received any feedback on this issue from our chapters or individual members. 
46 


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Senator Boozman: 

9. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projects that revenues for the Highway Trust Fund (HWT) will be 

insufficient to meet obligations by 2021. 

a. What would the impact be to the over 26,000 businesses you represent if the HWT becomes 

insolvent? 

If the Highway Trust Fund becomes insolvent sometime after the expiration of the FAST Act road 

construction and maintenance projects throughout the country could grind to a halt. Insolvency of the 

trust fund would have a rippling across AGC members engaged in the transportation construction 

business as companies will have to lay-off employees and hold off on the purchase of new equipment 

and other capita! investments, Construction companies operate on small margins and cash management 

is a significant factor in a firm's longevity. A significant disruption in highway projects going out for bid 

will no doubt result in business failures and bankruptcies for construction businesses. 

It is important to note, even the threat of insolvency would have a significant impact on our industry and 

the nation's transportation network. The result of failing to address the HWT's ongoing revenue shortfall 

leaves open the possibility of disruptive uncertainty for states and the construction industry once the 

FAST Act expires. Without an extension and new revenue, AASHTO estimates that states will see about a 

50 percent reduction in highway funding from FY 2020 to the following year and $47 billion to $23 billion 

in FY 2021. The bottom line is that failing to address the pending insolvency of the HWT will result in the 

further deterioration of our nation's transportation network, impacting mobility, safety and economic 

well-being. 

10. Taxpayers across the country, including in Arkansas, point to government inefficiency in the delivery of 

infrastructure. 

a. Projects that should reasonably be completed in a few years typically last decades, delaying 

public benefits and exponentially increasing costs. 

b. Do you believe the Administration's push to eliminate regulatory barriers and streamline 

permitting will help important infrastructure projects to get completed on time and on budget? 

AGC believes that the effort of the Administration to streamline the environmental review process will 

help more infrastructure projects be completed on time and on budget from inception to the ribbon 

cutting. Most of the delay in project delivery comes during the planning, permitting and development 

stage of the project, not during actual construction. The April 9, 2018 "One Federal Decision" 

memorandum of understanding that was signed by more than a dozen federal agencies establishes a 

coordinated and timely process for environmental reviews of major infrastructure projects and should 

make significant improvements to the project delivery process. Additionally, the Administration's 

performance and accountability system for major infrastructure projects and the Federal Highway 

Administration's final rule to improve and streamline environmental review processes should help 

projects get out to bid faster and completed on time and on budget. 

11. We frequently hear that there is an abundance of private sector capital (both equity and debt) on the 

sidelines, waiting to invest in infrastructure projects. 
47 


35123.039

a. There is no doubt P3s offer a valuable tool for infrastructure investment, but do you see private 

investment making up the difference needed to simply maintain spending for transportation 

programs? 

P3s have been given much emphasis in the past few years. Clearly, there is a place for P3s in addressing 

current and future transportation needs. P3s bring additional financing to the table to address 

transportation needs that would not be there without federal encouragement. However, it is important 

to understand that financing and funding are not the same thing and do not provide the same benefit in 

addressing transportation infrastructure needs. In addition, P3s shift risk away from state DOTs and bring 

new players into the operations and maintenance mix. This risk shifting, however, comes at a cost that 

increases the price of project delivery. In addition, only certain types of projects may attract P3 

development. These are primarily revenue generating projects based largely in dense urban areas. While 

encouragement for P3s should continue, it must be understood that they are supplemental to the 

formula based funding program and are not the solution to the funding shortfall. 
48 

Senator BARRASSO. Well, thank you so very much for your 

thoughts and your testimony. I appreciate it. 

Mr. Corless. 

STATEMENT OF JAMES CORLESS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, 

SACRAMENTO AREA COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS 

Mr. CORLESS. Chairman Barrasso, Ranking Member Carper, and 

members of the Committee, I am James Corless, Executive Director 

of the Sacramento Area Council of Governments, and I am honored 

to be here today representing our Council, which represents 22 cities and 6 counties in the greater Sacramento region. 

As you know, I am from California, but I am also from the heartland of California. Our region is not coastal in California; we are 

central and inland. We are not deep blue; we are a patchwork of 

reds, blues, and purples; and 85 percent of our land in our region 

is rural. We are truly a microcosm of America. 

Senator Carper, you like to quote Einstein. I like to quote my 13- 

year-old daughter, who says, ‘‘Daddy, Sacramento, we’ve got some 

problems and challenges, but we’re real, we’re genuine, and we’ve 

tackled them head on.’’ In that spirit, I am here this morning to 

talk about four major points that we really think you need to address in the next authorization bill: funding, innovation, long term 

planning, and bridging the urban-rural divide. 

On funding, my two colleagues here have said much that I would 

agree with, and I am not going to repeat that, but I will say one 

thing. We are going to have to come up with a successor to the gas 

tax sooner or later, whether it is sooner or later. 

I think there were comments in the media this morning that 

seemed to suggest, perhaps, that I was against a miles-traveled fee, 

and I want to just correct that for the record. I am not against a 

miles-traveled fee in terms of something that will replace the gas 

tax, but hear me out on this. This is very important that we address it. 

Twenty miles traveled on a two-lane rural road is not the same 

as 20 miles traveled on an urban interstate at 9 a.m. at peak hour, 

rush hour traffic congestion. They exact different costs. The urban 

interstate is going to require us to build billions of new infrastructure, so we want to manage that demand. We can manage that demand through effective pricing. It is not just about the miles you 

travel; it is about when you travel; it is about how you travel. 

So, in the next authorization bill we want more pilot programs. 

We want to be able to be more creative. We want to test pricing 

schemes much like the utility sector now prices utilities. Most 

things in the private sector are priced by time of day, by peak travel. We do not do this in the transportation sector, and we need to 

correct that. 

Second point on innovation. New technology innovation—you all 

know this—is coming faster than we know it. Now, we made advances in MAP–21 and the FAST Act, but we are falling further 

behind in terms of the speed of technology and things that are 

transforming our sector. From the local level, as important as the 

Federal program is, it seems out of touch, given where technology 

is. 

49 

In the Sacramento region, we have started a program called 

Civic Lab. This was a really interesting idea. We took 20 teams, 

cities, counties, and transit agencies, and we challenged them to 

come up and solve their transportation challenges with a couple of 

rules: you can’t spend a lot of money, you have to use technology, 

you have to use creative problem solving, and must partner with 

the private sector. We did an umbrella procurement. We allowed 

them to pull off our umbrella procurements so they didn’t have to 

go through their own procurements to partner with private sector 

companies. 

The projects that came out were truly inspirational. A low income project to move youth to summer construction jobs so low income youth could actually show up on time, at 7 a.m. every day, 

through a shuttle service; on-demand transit for a rural community 

where you couldn’t make fixed route public transit work to get 

folks to work and to jobs on time; a new traffic management program that can help one of our more popular rural farm areas deal 

with peak hour congestion during harvest season. 

But here is the rub: we can’t take our Federal funds and actually 

use them to fund these projects. We don’t have that eligibility and 

that flexibility, and we need that. If you want to embrace innovation, we have to do that. 

USDOT made a huge stride with its Smart Cities Challenge, and 

I say recreate that, but do it for communities of all sizes, urban, 

rural, and suburban, and even State level programs that would be 

State versions of a challenge for communities to use technology and 

innovation to come up with quick and effective low cost solutions. 

In terms of the planning process, it is too slow, it is too cumbersome. We have too much to do. It is too much of a check-box 

exercise. The future is changing rapidly, and we need our planning 

process to be quicker, easier, more meaningful, and more data driven. USDOT can do a lot in this regard. We actually are using one 

of its datasets that it procured for the entire Nation. It is a great 

use of its economy of scale. We also need USDOT to help build the 

capacity of our agencies. 

Finally, bridging the urban-rural divide, we have had a program 

now for 10 years that we call the Rural-Urban Connection Strategy, and we learned, first and foremost in that program, that 

broadband and high speed communications are seen as a form of 

transportation for our rural communities. We need eligibility in our 

Federal funds to allow those kinds of communication networks and 

broadband to be funded right along transportation; it is equal to or 

greater than in terms of the need of rural communities, as it is as 

mobility and roads and highways. 

With that, I would be happy to answer any questions, and thank 

you again for the invitation. 

[The prepared statement of Mr. Corless follows:] 

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35123.040

James Corless 

Executive Director 

Sacramento Area Council of Governments 

In Apri12017, James Corless began his appointment as 

Executive Director for the Sacramento Area Council of 

Governments (SACOG), which provides transportation 

planning and funding for the six-county Sacramento region, 

and serves as a forum for the study and resolution of regional 

issues. 

Prior to his appointment to lead SACOG, Mr. Corless was the founding director of 

Transportation for America, where he built an impressive national network of civic, 

elected, and business leaders who understand that strategic investments in 

infrastructure are crucial for attracting economic development. Under his leadership, 

Transportation for America advocated for state and federal transportation funding and 

policies that focus on local knowledge to drive investments and maximize local 

economic development. Corless also led advocacy efforts and developed place-based 

programs and policies. 

Mr. Corless has also served in senior positions for the Metropolitan Transportation 

Commission in the San Francisco Bay Area, where he managed the agency's efforts to 

partner with the private sector and local governments to promote jobs, retail, and 

residential construction along public transportation corridors. Mr. Corless helped author 

several pieces of groundbreaking state legislation in California that have helped 

encourage coordination of transportation, growth and economic development and has 

served as a visiting lecturer at the University of California at Berkeley in the Department 

of City and Regional Planning. 
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35123.041

COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS 

UNITED STATES SENATE 

ADDRESSING AMERICA'S SURFACE 

TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS 

TESTIMONY OF JAMES CORLESS 

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, 

SACRAMENTO AREA COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS 

SUBMITTED FOR THE RECORD 

NOVEMBER 28, 2018 

WASHINGTON, DC 

Sacramento Area Council of Governments 

www.sacog.org 
52 


35123.042

Introduction 

Chairman Barrasso, Ranking Member Carper. and members of the Committee, on 

behalf of the Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SA COG) I welcome the 

opportunity to submit comments for the record as part of today's hearing. 

SACOG is a council of governments that represents the 22 cities and six counties 

of the Greater Sacramento Region in California. My agency. and my peer 

regional planning agencies. truly appreciate being included in your thinking as 

the Committee on Environment and Public Works starts developing a successor 

to the FAST Act 

A Perspective from the Heartland of California 

I'm honored to be here in front of this distinguished committee today and I'm 

proud to represent the Greater Sacramento region. When you hear Sacramento, 

you might make a lot of assumptions that go with the stereotype of "California:": 

that we're a coastal state. that we're an urban state, that we're a blue state. I 

want to dispel those myths when it comes to central and inland California. The 

Sacramento region is one of the nation's most diverse. We're diverse in terms of 

our people. our politics and our places. Indeed, our region covers the booming 

urban core of Sacramento. vibrant suburbs, historic towns and main streets, 

newly developing exurbs, rural farmland and thousands of acres of forests. We 

are truly a microcosm of America, which is the reason we are often used as a test 

market for advertisers. It's with that perspective, and in the spirit of that diversity. 

that I offer my testimony and our regional insights for the Committee today. 

(1) Meeting the Funding Challenge: From the Bottom Up 

It is impossible to address the future of the nation's surface transportation 

program without first getting to the heart of our biggest challenge: the 

transportation 'fiscal cliff' that's staring at us when the current FAST Act 

authorization expires in 2020. By many accounts, we will have a financial hole to 

fill in the tens of billions. In filling this hole. we have two enormous challenges to 

confront First. we need a short-term fix that either means raising the federal 

gasoline tax or continuing stopgap funding solutions of the recent past Second, 
53 


35123.043

we need to accelerate our efforts to deploy the successor to the gas tax. It's my 

belief that whatever successor emerges as the favorite will need to be tested 

and deployed in a majority of the states before it's adopted at a national leveL 

It's also my belief that we should not simply replace the current tax on gasoline 

with a tax on the number of miles you drive. A rural resident who drives 20 miles 

on a lightly travelled two-lane road doesn't impose anywhere near the cost of an 

urban resident who travels 20 miles on a congested interstate highway in the 

middle of rush hour. We need creative approaches to generating revenue for 

transportation that can both reduce traffic congestion and apply some sense of 

fairness between rural and urban areas. Among other things, we should test 

creative time-of-day pricing much like energy rates currently used by the utility 

sector. 

So let's get to work. Let's build on the existing pilot projects across the country 

and move into more widespread deployment The next authorization should 

encourage both pilot tests and larger scale deployment at both the state level 

and within metropolitan regions. It should lift the current prohibition on tolling 

the interstates and allow for the testing of a variety of creative approaches to 21st 

century transportation user-fees. 

(z) Embracing Innovation: Is the Transportation Sector Prepared? 

As someone who's been in the transportation planning profession for nearly 

three decades. I believe this is one of the most exciting and disruptive times that 

our profession has ever seen. The introduction of new automated vehicle 

technology, the growth of big data. and the proliferation of new private-sector 

companies providing new on-demand mobility solutions have started to 

transform transportation planning and how we think about moving people and 

goods. Automated vehicles have the ability to not just revolutionize our 

transportation system, but to provide new freedom and independence for 

seniors and people with disabilities. 

Yet support for these new innovations are still the exception rather than the rule 

in our current federal transportation programs and policy. The U.S. Department 

of Transportation took two critical steps forward when it issued the Smart Cities 

Challenge in 2015 and began developing its automated vehicle policy. While 
54 


35123.044

these are positive steps, they are nowhere near enough to help states. regional 

planning agencies and local governments plan for and embrace a future of 

autonomous. shared. connected and electric vehicles that's coming faster than 

we ever thought. 

In the Sacramento region. our agency has started preparing for this disruption by 

developing a new program we call "Civic Lab." Civic Lab is a nine-month 

initiative that. in its first year, involved eight teams representing over 20 different 

local jurisdictions from a range of urban, suburban and rural areas. We 

challenged them to bring their most pressing transportation and mobility 

problems to us. Our ground rules were that they couldn't spend a lot of money 

on the solution, they had to use creative problem-solve using techniques 

popular among start-up companies, they had to use some form of technology or 

data, and they needed to consider partnering with a private sector company. Our 

agency issued an umbrella procurement for private sector vendors so that our 

teams didn't have to go through their own local government procurement 

process. We now have six of our eight teams who are advancing pilot projects to 

test their ideas, many of whom are pulling from that regional umbrella 

procurement in order to quickly partner with private companies. We have 

helped our teams develop innovative transportation projects including a 

program that will move low-income youth to summer construction jobs so they 

can reliably get to work on time, an on-demand shuttle service for a rural 

community on the edge of our region that isn't well served by fixed-route public 

transit. an automated bus that will connect a train station with our local campus 

at Sacramento State University, and a new traffic management program that can 

help one of our most popular rural farm areas deal with peak congestion during 

harvest season. Since these are pilot tests. we're also working with another local 

university, U.C. Davis, to provide a data-driven evaluation of our projects. 

While all of this is tremendously exciting and inspiring. we've also learned that 

there are some significant federal roadblocks that we have to overcome. For 

starters, most of our transportation pilot projects simply aren't eligible for our 

standard federal formula funds. We need to remove the current restrictions on 

our federal transit funds to allow our projects - most of which are promoting 

shared rides and multiple passengers in vehicles- to be eligible for funding. 

And we need to broaden the flexibility of our federal highway funding to allow 
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35123.045

these types of innovative approaches to compete. Currently, we are only finding 

that kind of flexibility through our federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality 

(CMAO) funds. We even have some of our rural innovation projects that may not 

be eligible for any federal transportation funding whatsoever. The next 

authorization bill should change these restrictions so that these types of 

innovation projects can thrive. 

But there's much more that the next transportation authorization bill must do to 

embrace innovation. While states and metropolitan planning organizations rely 

on and appreciate the certainty that formula funds provide, there should be a 

greater emphasis on national and even state-level competitive grant programs 

that explicitly encourage innovation, technology, pilot projects and partnerships 

with the private sector. For example, USDOT's Smart Cities Challenge should be 

replicated but allow for communities to compete within different categories 

according to whether they are urban, suburban or ruraL State-level challenge 

grant programs should be funded so that each state can design its own 

innovation grant program tailored to the needs and geography of each particular 

state. 

But we need to go even further in infusing innovation and technology into our 

federal transportation programs. We need to partner with technology 

companies and designers to develop smart. quick, low-cost solutions to reduce 

fatalities on rural. two lane roadways. We will never have enough money to turn 

every two-lane road with a safety problem into a four- or six-lane facility. I give 

my colleagues at the state departments of transportation in Missouri, Texas, 

Oregon, and Washington a lot of credit for attempting to tackle this critical safety 

issue. Yet the lessons need to better understood and more widely shared. We 

are still approaching these rural safety issues with too much reliance on older, 

more expensive solutions. and too little understanding of how smart, lower-cost 

designs can save more lives, faster. 

And while we need to invest more in mass transit. we also need to invest in the 

capacity of our transit agencies in order to allow them to transform from 

agencies that simply move buses and trains into agencies that move people. 

There are critical experiments already underway in Houston, Indianapolis and in 

my hometown of Sacramento where transit agencies are redesigning bus routes 

for the first time in 50 years. They are experimenting with new forms of 
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microtransit that can provide flexible. door-to-door transit through on-demand 

apps. These innovations in public transit have just as much relevance- if not 

more- in our nation's rural areas and small towns. 

(J) Simplifying but Strengthening the Planning Process 

As an agency that sees itself as a regional planning body, and as someone who 

has been involved with the transportation planning profession for several 

decades. I can tell you that we are entering a similar period of disruption in the 

field of planning that we're seeing with automated vehicle technology. As Yogi 

Berra famously said, "the future ain't what it used to be." We can no longer plan 

for the next 20 years as if it will look just like the last 20. 

The next federal surface transportation authorization bill should advance our 

approach to transportation planning by encouraging our planning process to be 

quicker, easier, more meaningful and data-driven. The truth is that our current 

planning process is too cumbersome and too slow. It's weighed down by a 

complicated set of requirements, many of which tie the hands of planning 

agencies. make us plan for the sake of planning, or are simply out of date. Just 

as MAP-21 and the FAST Act simplified and streamlined the number of distinct 

federal funding programs, so too should the next authorization simplify the 

planning process without eliminating the overall goals and outcomes that the 

federal government understandably wants us to achieve. I would start by 

eliminating the multitude of planning factors that we have to consider and 

reduce them to just four: economic prosperity, access to opportunity for 

disadvantaged populations, traffic safety. and environmental sustainability 

including resilience to extreme weather events. 

While we simplify and streamline the planning process, we can strengthen it at 

the same time. We need the federal government to be a strong partner and 

invest in new data and analysis tools in order to build the capacity of regional 

planning agencies and state departments of transportation. For instance, the U.S. 

Department of Transportation invested in the procurement of a national so-state 

dataset on traffic flows and traffic congestion. Our agency is currently using this 

dataset as part of our long-range modeling in our latest 20-year transportation 
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plan. This is a perfect role for USDOT and a remarkably cost-effective use of 

public resources. 

US DOT should also help build the capacity of transportation agencies by 

working with us to develop new tools that can evaluate the effectiveness of 

major new transportation investments. While we took some important first steps 

towards more performance-based planning in MAP-21 and the FAST Act. we 

stopped short of carrying those performance measures all the way into the 

evaluation of specific transportation projects. It's one thing to track the year to 

year changes in our federal performance measures, but it's far more meaningful 

if we can understand how our specific transportation investments and individual 

projects move the needle and make progress on things like reducing traffic 

fatalities. This is admittedly a technical challenge, but it is also the next frontier in 

performance-based planning. And it is far more achievable today than it was just 

a few years ago due to the prevalence of big data. 

In summary, we need to overhaul our transportation planning process to be less 

about checkboxes and more about data-driven decision making. We need it to 

have fewer regulatory requirements that take staff time and resources, and 

include more meaningful evaluations of how cost-effective our transportation 

investments will be. 

(4) Bridging the Rural-Urban Divide 

As I describe above, I represent a mid-size region in the heartland of California 

that brings together just about every type of geography possible: rural, urban. 

and suburban. Exactly a decade ago, our board of directors recognized that we 

needed to be more intentional about bridging our rural-urban divide. and so we 

launched our Rural-Urban Connection Strategy (RUCS) program. After the 

adoption of our award-winning Blueprint plan, an agreement that represents a 

voluntary commitment to quality growth in urban and suburban areas 

throughout our six-county region, our local elected officials realized that our 

rural areas were notably missing. 

So we launched an effort designed to help our rural communities better 

capitalize on their existing assets. We've developed economic assessment tools 

that help local farmers understand how to maximize their profitability, and help 
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our local governments understand how to maximize their local tax revenues 

from productive agricultural land over the long term. We've identified that. in 

some cases. we've taken too much of a short-term view on air pollution. This has 

led to the closure of some of our local agricultural processing plants, only to find 

that we have increased long-haul truck traffic that now has to haul many of our 

products hundreds of miles in order to get them processed. We've discovered 

that our urban areas are economically dependent on our rural agricultural lands 

and vice-versa. Indeed, for every job on a farm within our region. we have two 

jobs in urban areas that are dependent on that farm and its economic output 

We've come to understand that we'd be better off with a broader and more 

flexible toolbox of infrastructure investments. For example. many of our rural 

communities see broadband and high-speed communications as a 

transportation investment. on par with roads. bridges and freight rail. We've 

learned that not every rural. two-lane road is a farm-to-market road. Indeed. 

some rural transportation investments have far more economic bang for the 

buck than others. We believe it's our job as a regional planning agency to 

understand these issues and be aware of those differences. particularly in a 

region where 85 percent of our land is rural. 

We don't do ourselves any favors by segregating rural areas from urban ones. 

Yes. they have undeniably different issues they're grappling with. But they are 

almost always inextricably linked. A vast number of rural areas across the US 

are usually part of a larger regional economy that typically contains one or more 

smaller cities at its core. And once again. it's typically regional planning agencies 

sometimes designated as Rural Transportation Planning Agencies (RTPOs) 

and councils of governments that unite these urban-rural regions. 

MAP-21 and the FAST Act gave rural officials a stronger voice in the planning 

process. The next transportation authorization bill should do even more to invest 

in regional planning capacity at all levels. It should increase the authority and 

direct funding for smaller. non-metropolitan planning organizations and strongly 

encourage local urban-rural coordination initiatives. 

Congress should also consider broadening the eligibility of certain federal 

transportation funding programs- such as the Surface Transportation Block 

Grant Program (STBGP)- in order to allow eligibility to fund broadband projects 

and high-speed communications networks in rural communities. Here's the 
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rationale for this: transporting information and data is now as valuable as 

transporting people and goods, sometimes even more so. in rural communities 

who are increasingly relying on high speed communications for economic 

development. tourism. access to education, telemedicine and agricultural sales 

and marketing. 

Conclusion 

In the greater Sacramento region, we've learned a lot about using our regional 

planning role in general, and our transportation investments in particular, as way 

to bridge our divides and better connect our communities. I'm here today to tell 

you just how vital federal transportation funding is in supporting our work and 

strengthening our economy. But I'm also here to tell you that while we are 

underinvesting in transportation, simply spending more money on our current 

programs and traditional approaches won't work. We need to be smarter about 

how we invest our limited funds. The next transportation authorization bill must 

change the way we plan for and invest in transportation projects, doing more to 

embrace and encourage technology, innovation, data-driven planning and true 

regional collaboration that can bridge our urban-rural divides. 
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Answers to Questions for the Record Following a Hearing on "Addressing 

America's Surface Transportation Needs" Conducted by the Senate 

Environment and Public Works Committee 

On November 28, 2018, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee convened a 

hearing at which James Corless, executive director of the Sacramento Area Council of 

Governments (SA COG), testified about the future of the federal transportation program and 

how to address the nation's mobility needs. After the hearing, Chairman Barrasso, Ranking 

Member Carper, and Senator Duckworth submitted questions for the record. This document 

provides SA COG's answers. 

Chairman Barrasso 

Question: How well is the current partnership between the federal government, state 

government and the metropolitan planning organization meeting the needs of the 

Sacramento region? 

Answer: In part because of California state law and bills signed by then-Governor Wilson in 

the 1990s, California has developed a productive and effective framework for partnership 

between all levels of government including the MPOs and councils of governments within 

our state. MPOs and councils of governments are the only place where local elected 

officials get involved in the state and federal transportation planning process, and where 

this happens well all parties stand to benefit and transportation projects typically enjoy 

stronger local support. The involvement of MPOs in the process in other states is uneven, 

and the next federal surface transportation bill should invest more in building the capacity 

of these regional planning organizations in both metropolitan regions as well as rural 

regions across the country. 

Question: What changes do you think need to be made in order to improve transportation 

in regions such as yours and across the nation. 

From a policy perspective, we need to stabilize the federal highway trust fund and develop 

the next generation of user revenues that will replace the federal gasoline tax to continue 

federal investments in infrastructure. We need to allow more flexibility in federal funding 

programs that allow us to partner more readily with the private sector and encourage 

innovation and more technology-driven solutions. We need to break down the walls 

between different types of transportation- roadways, railways, water transportation and 

mass transit- and put a stronger focus on moving people and goods regardless of mode. 

And we need the authority and flexibility to experiment with road user pricing, particularly 

on the Interstate highway system. 
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2 

Ranking Member Carper 

Question: We are now in the beginning stages of our work to reauthorize the Federal 

surface transportation programs. As part of these reauthorization discussions, what topics 

do you believe particularly merit in-depth discussions for future hearings? 

Answer: This next surface transportation authorization bill needs to acknowledge how much 

the world has changed in the last ten years and take a fresh look at a number of key issues 

that are worthy of future hearings. Among the topics we would suggest: 

• Technological disruption and innovation: how can federal transportation 

investments spark new innovation, new technology-driven approaches to traffic 

management and new services that can provide affordable mobility solutions to all 

Americans while partnering with the private sector? There is tremendous promise 

in funding challenge grants and pilot programs to encourage innovation at the state 

and local level. 

• Innovative solutions to rural accessibility including broadband: per my testimony, 

rural transportation issues are critical but we must begin to redefine "access" to 

economic opportunity, education and health care to allow broadband and high 

speed communications to be eligible for transportation funds. 

• Workforce development and job training in an era of unprecedented retirements 

and automation: we have never experienced a bigger turnover in our 

transportation-related workforce but we also must reorient our workforce 

development and driver training programs to account for automated vehicles and 

prepare for a new generation of technology and data-driven mobility and logistics 

services. 

Mobility for disadvantaged populations: accessibility for seniors, people with 

disabilities and low-income workers is still far too challenging. Federal policy and 

investments should target removal of these barriers and coordination of various 

programs intended to address these populations. 

Question: Technology will continue to drive the future of transportation and 

infrastructure in this country. What can Congress do to foster these kinds of innovations? 

Answer: We are in a rapidly changing world in terms of technology, data and automation. 

These changes are starting to have profound effects on our transportation networks and 

federal policy and the next surface transportation authorization bill could consider the 

following: 

• Build on the success of US DOT's Smart Cities Challenge Grant program. While only 

one winner was selected in the US DOT Smart Cities program, it had a tremendously 

positive effect on getting local communities to think creatively about advancing 

innovation. That program should be restructured, updated and recreated, with 
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3 

federal funding allocated for similar state level innovation challenge grants. This is a 

relatively small federal investment that can yield benefits many times over. 

• Address the data governance gap from significant amounts of data being 

generated from new technologies, including CAVs. The federal government should 

help develop and implement robust data-sharing requirements for new vehicle 

technology to improve the quantity and quality of data collected, and to reduce the 

millions of dollars spent annually on technologically primitive data collection, both 

from regular traffic operation and from traffic crashes. In California's Capital Region, 

cities, counties, SACOG, Caltrans and transit operators all collect data, but there is 

often limited data sharing between the public and private sectors. 

Because the industry is in the preliminary testing phase of CAVs operating on public 

roadways, there should be broad sharing of information generated by commercial 

technology developers so that collective learning can happen while still protecting 

proprietary information of the technology developers. Private CAV operators testing 

on public roads should be required to make data available to help manage traffic 

operations. Congress should set an open data standard so that vehicles and 

infrastructure all operate on common standards. 

• Data privacy security standards should be more comprehensive for transportation 

technologies. In the era of big data that is increasingly commercially collected, 

limited standards and weak enforcement creates risks for the public and limits 

innovation. 

• Require USDOT to establish a structured advisory and deployment coordination 

program between industry (including OEMs} and the public sector to support the 

development and deployment of vehicle and infrastructure technologies. Utilize 

the groups formed to design future competitive funding programs and proposed 

federal policy changes within Congress. For example, local governments and MPOs 

should be as fully engaged as state DOTs in CAV deployment efforts. Local agencies 

manage at least half of the surface transportation in the US and have a different 

perspective from states, who manage relatively uniform facilities. Many of the 

biggest planning and operational challenges for CAVs are in cities, where design is 

not consistent and operating conditions are very dynamic. 

• Provide more funding and flexibility to deploy CAV technologies through annual 

appropriations and federal reauthorization of the FAST Act. 

o Make programs that deploy the use of CAVs eligible for funding beyond the 

historical practice of funding only capital expenses to include maintenance 

activities helpful to the operation of CAVs. 

o Federal aid procurement rules should become more flexible to reflect that 

CAV equipment is not the same as procurement for a more traditional 

construction projects. 
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4 

o Additional federal funding should be available for building new CAV test beds 

and maintaining existing ones. This could enable public agencies owning the 

infrastructure to collaborate with private technology developers to better 

understand each other's needs. That would lead to better standards and 

better infrastructure. 

o Appropriate higher levels of funding to the FAST Act authorization levels for 

FHWA's Advanced Transportation & Congestion Management Technologies 

Deployment (ATCMTD) program and FTA's Mobility on Demand (MOD)-

Sandbox program and the Lo-No Carbon bus capital program. 

o Provide technical assistance and grant selection criteria benefits to support 

innovative cities and counties pilot testing CAVs that are electrically powered 

and shared, and that are targeted at improving equity and accessibility for 

underserved communities. 

Question: In 2012, the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act consolidated 

dozens of programs, providing state and local transportation agencies with greater 

flexibility, while requiring performance measures to ensure accountability. Do you believe 

that the performance management regulations that have been promulgated by the 

Federal Highway Administration are achieving the goals of accountability and 

transparency, and are influencing investment decisions by States and MPOs? 

Answer: As with other large MPOs in California, SACOG has been strongly supportive of 

integrating performance assessment into transportation planning and programming 

decisions. We have been an early adopter of performance measurement methodologies 

into competitive funding programs and ongoing data monitoring activities. Because we only 

recently adopted targets for some federal performance rules, or are in the process of doing 

so for others, it is too early to assess the impacts from the new federal rules in California. 

A key challenge for the implementation of federal performance targets are resource needs 

for implementation. It's essentially an unfunded mandate for state DOTs and MPOs. It takes 

significant time and money to establish performance measures and monitor over time and 

California is similar to other states in that planning resources are inadequate at current 

levels. In order to support success, the federal government should match the increased 

responsibilities for performance management through increased funding (along with 

additional flexibility with existing fund sources) to support data collection, data analysis, 

target-setting activities, target-setting community engagement, and reporting processes as 

required under the new rules. 

MPOs are likely to continue to be catalysts for innovation in performance-based planning 

and programming, but need resources to do so. Congress should incorporate into any new 

transportation reauthorization bill additional funding, technical assistance, and incentives 

for innovative practices. For example, Congress could establish a High-Performing MPO 

program similar to what was proposed in the GROW Act (a precursor to the FAST-Act). 
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Question: As you know, Congress has had a difficult time reauthorizing federal 

transportation legislation on time- requiring repeated extensions of the program. What 

would be the impact on your agency if Congress failed to reauthorize the transportation 

programs on time and instead passed a series of short-term extensions? 

Answer: The greater certainty of funding that comes from a multi-year authorization bill 

supports the planning and coordination efforts that are at the core of an MPO's mission. 

A series of CRs versus a new authorization would be harmful to project delivery in our 

region and limit the economic benefit multipliers from transportation project investments. 

Volatility in annual appropriation levels will likely increase without a multi-year 

authorization because the Highway Trust Fund is becoming insolvent. A higher reliance on 

general fund transfers raises the chances that Congress won't keep funding steady year-toyear through the appropriations process. The risk for lower appropriation levels will be 

greatest in the years when the economy is worse- these are the very years that 

infrastructure investments are most needed for economic growth. 

5 

It's hard to plan the implementation of large projects that will require multiple years of 

funding. If funding levels are not steady, the implementation timeline for a project will be 

stretched out and the ultimate cost of the project will increase as a result. Borrowing costs 

for public agencies will likely also be higher without the greater assurance of funding levels 

from a multi-year authorization bill. Larger projects often require complex funding packages 

to complete that include financing in additional to capital grants. 

Question: The transportation sector is now the largest contributor of greenhouse gas 

emissions in our economy. At the same time transportation infrastructure is highly 

vulnerable to the impacts of extreme weather. How should the next reauthorization 

enhance the environment and improve sustainability, while also ensuring that 

communities build infrastructure to withstand extreme weather? In your view, what steps 

should we take to ensure that all investments are climate-resilient? How can we 

incorporate wetlands and other natural infrastructure to enhance overall climate 

resilience where feasible? 

Answer: The federal government should consider funding for adaptation research beyond 

sea level rise, looking at other impacts such as extreme heat, wildfire, and secondary effects 

like landslides. The next federal transportation bill should provide funding for critical and 

vulnerable regions and locations to make infrastructure more resilient, and require the 

inclusion of adaptation measures when funding projects in vulnerable areas. SACOG is 

finalizing a transportation adaptation plan that will measure impacts on infrastructure and 

provide policies on how best to plan, design, fund, build, and maintain critical 

transportation assets in vulnerable areas. Our sister agency to the southwest of us in the 
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San Francisco Bay Area, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, recently ran a high 

profile resiliency challenge grant program and learned some vital lessons. The federal 

government should provide resources to regions to help implement such programs and 

policies. 

Question: What role do you suggest the federal government can take in enhancing public 

adoption of electric vehicles as passenger vehicles and in public transportation, and what 

are the greatest barriers to the electrification of transportation in America? 

Answer: First and foremost, the federal government should maintain all financial incentives 

for the purchase or lease of electric vehicles. Second, the federal government should make 

a concerted effort to support more domestic manufacturing of electric vehicles, trucks and 

buses. This is the type of job training and workforce development challenge that should be 

met through more robust domestic manufacturing of zero-emission vehicles and can be 

done so in partnership with community colleges and vocational schools. Third, the federal 

government should provide additional resources to write down the capital cost of zero 

emission transit vehicles. 

6 

Question: As trustee for American Indians and Alaska Natives, the federal government has 

a responsibility to fulfill its treaty obligations to tribal communities. As we continue our 

work to reauthorize Federal surface transportation programs, we will continue our efforts 

to uphold those trust responsibilities. Can you share any experiences working on 

infrastructure development projects with tribal communities? Can you share challenges or 

barriers, if any, that were encountered during these projects? Are there solutions that you 

would recommend? 

Answer: In our larger metropolitan region, our local cities and counties and our state 

department of transportation- Caltrans- develop infrastructure projects working in close 

consultation with our tribal communities. This work is typically carried out through 

transportation project development processes and other planning frameworks. SACOG and 

other MPO's work diligently to develop trusting relationships and provide ongoing 

opportunities for tribal engagement both in long range transportation plans and more 

specific project development processes. One short-term improvement that could be 

addressed through federal policy is the treatment of burial sites and Native American 

human remains during the planning and construction of infrastructure projects. There are 

improving technologies including LIDAR that can provide a quicker and more robust virtual 

scan to determine the presence of human remains and burial sites. This is far less disruptive 

and costly compared to physical excavation. Second, when remains and burial sites are 

found that are thought to be Native American, tribes need to be included in the 

archaeological process including decisions about whether any human remains will be 

transported offsite. There are many organizations and tribes here in California that are at 

the forefront of these issues and have a wealth of real-world experiences and 
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recommendations for what already works well locally, in addition to how the consultation 

and coordination processes could be strengthened and improved. 

Senator Duckworth 

Question: Given your experience with the national Smart Cities Collaborative to 

encourage cities to leverage technology to enhance municipal services, to what extent 

does expanding app based on-demand access to paratransit services improve mobility 

options for disabled individuals? What other changes to federal policy may be most 

effective to expand access to paratransit services? 

7 

Answer: The rise of app-based ridehailing providers has revolutionized transportation in 

general and disrupted the taxi industry in particular. Yet there is still too much of a gap 

between the private sector ridehailing companies and the services they offer, and the public 

sector paratransit services which provide essential mobility but are often far too costly. 

There are emerging experiments with a fair amount of promise in Boston and elsewhere, 

and the federal government should be investing more in testing new public-private 

partnerships to determine how we can provide better service that doesn't require long 

response times at lower costs. In addition, Congress should consider the following: 

• Ensure that ADA considerations are integrated into the testing and deployment of 

Connected and Automated Vehicle (CAV) technologies. This will ensure that 

paratransit services are a part of CAV transit pooling services. 

Promote the use of paratransit by Medicaid providers. As part of the policy 

reforms, provide reimbursement for transportation costs at an equivalent rate for 

both public and private providers of paratransit trips. 

• Expand the current employer-provided transit pass tax benefits to include 

paratransit services for training and education of travelers. 

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) should adopt the Public Rights-of-Way 

Accessibility Guidelines (PROWAG). Paratransit services are often challenged by 

streetside accessibility conditions. PROWAG would provide transportation 

agencies with solid, researched solutions for accessibility within their 

transportation corridors. Once these guidelines are adopted by the US DOJ they 

should become enforceable standards under Title II of the ADA. 
67 

Senator BARRASSO. Well, we appreciate the testimony of all of 

you. We are going to start with some questions. 

I want to start, Mr. Braceras, if I could, with you. Utah, Wyoming, Senator Fischer, who is on this Committee from Nebraska, 

when she was in the State senate she chaired the transportation 

committee in the State for Nebraska; I chaired the transportation 

committee in the State of Wyoming. 

We have a poster board here we are going to pull up that just 

kind of shows the bottom part, the orange I–80 heading to Utah, 

Wyoming, and then to Nebraska. The orange is where we are 

today. The green is where we are going to be in the next decade 

or so, with expanded amounts of traffic going back and forth. 

Clearly, that is where all the action is traffic-wise in Wyoming. 

Lots of the State doesn’t have that kind of traffic, but we see it 

there, and then going down to Denver, Colorado. 

The Congressional Research Service has come up with this map 

about freight traffic specifically. As you know, for every one of the 

big trucks, that is like 4,000 cars in terms of the impact on the 

roads, so we are going to see that. 

What can be done, do you think, to help ensure that interstates 

in rural States like ours in many ways, as well as Nebraska, can 

keep pace with the increasing interstate commerce, as well as the 

commuting that goes along? 

Mr. BRACERAS. Thank you for the question, Mr. Chairman. It is 

interesting how connected we are as a Nation and how our transportation system is really providing that connection. 

When there is a big snowstorm in Wyoming and I–80 shuts 

down—— 

Senator BARRASSO. Like it did on Sunday. 

Mr. BRACERAS [continuing]. The trucks back up into Utah, and 

we, on our variable message signs, are indicating the conditions of 

what I–80 is looking like in Wyoming, and truckers are making a 

decision of where they are going to spend their time because their 

hours of service are limited. 

I think the point that our Nation depends on a connected transportation system, and it needs to function, and it needs to be reliable and dependable for this to work. When you think about the 

purpose of a transportation system, every single transportation system in the world was created around the fundamental purpose of 

growing an economy and improving quality of life. It is as simple 

as that. And if our system is not functioning well, it impacts our 

entire country. 

So, I tell people in the State of Utah that I need a Federal transportation program, I need a Federal transportation vision because 

I need the roads to function in Nebraska, in Wyoming, in California in order for my Utah companies to be successful. 

So, Mr. Chairman, I think it is important that for us to recognize 

that even though we are connected with the transportation system, 

that every State is unique, and regions within States are unique, 

and it is important for us at the Federal level to recognize that 

they are different. Most solutions are best done when they are done 

with locals and being done together, so if the Federal Government 

could work with States and with regions to be able to provide the 

flexibility to find the solutions that work for that region, then we 

68 

can start to address the transportation system for the entire country. 

Senator BARRASSO. You still believe—I think it was in testimony 

that was given by your organization in the House—that using the 

highway formula funding, as opposed to trying to recreate something, is the way to go? 

Mr. BRACERAS. Mr. Chairman, absolutely. As I stated in my oral 

testimony as well, it is a tried and proven method of delivering the 

highway program. We have been doing this now for about 100 

years. We can make sure that we deliver the appropriate program, 

essentially the right project at the right time for the right region 

in the most efficient and effective way with the existing Federal 

funding formula program that is in place today. 

Senator BARRASSO. This is for you, Mr. Lanham. We had a hearing earlier about ocean plastic and the oceans that are affecting 

plastics and what could be used, how plastics could better be used. 

This was a hearing that we had on plastics, and it was interesting, 

the Washington Post had an article last month headlined Plastic 

Bottles May Become Part of Roads Surface, trying to find what we 

could do with all of the plastics that are out there. 

The article explains that using recycled plastics in road and 

highway construction can make our roads and highways actually 

more resilient, that is what they are claiming there. In other 

words, using plastic waste can make our roads last longer, save 

taxpayer money. 

What do you think about the idea of actually using innovative 

materials, or others, about recycled tires and things to use in road 

building, and is there a future in that? 

Mr. LANHAM. Mr. Chairman, we are big supporters of it and have 

been doing it for a very, very long time as a company. Williams 

Brothers Construction Company, we constructed 24 miles of Interstate 10 west of downtown Houston. The existing roadway, every 

piece of that was recycled and reintegrated back into the construction of the new freeway; nothing was thrown away. So, though that 

is not new materials, we didn’t have to go to the quarries to obtain 

aggregates recently mined; we were able to reuse the materials and 

integrate. 

I think other products are out there. We have used ground tires 

in asphalt pavements. There are opportunities, I think, out there 

to continue that innovation. What needs to understand is how the 

business works in construction with regards to economic drivers 

and costs, and how it ends up affecting the State in the price of 

their projects. 

We look at things in mass and volume. If I have a project, and 

I need 100,000 tons of aggregate to produce the pavements for this 

job, somebody asked me can I use some crushed porcelain in there, 

I say, what is the volume available? A thousand tons. OK, it has 

become a nuisance for business, as opposed to being an actual commodity throughput. 

So, those are the kinds of things that need to be weighed in the 

discussion, but it has been proven, we can effectively recycle and 

maintain quality product for the taxpayer. 

Senator BARRASSO. Thank you. 

Senator Carper. 

69 

Senator CARPER. I was looking forward to this hearing when I 

saw who was going to testify, and you have exceeded my expectations. This like a smorgasbord of good ideas and good advice, so 

thank you for all of it. 

I had a visit a month or so ago in my office from folks from 

Hyundai who have a couple of plants in this country, a Korean 

company, and we were talking about fuel efficiency for the vehicles 

that they are going to be building in the future. I remember being 

at the Detroit Auto Show about 10 years ago. The car of the year 

that year was the Chevrolet Volt. It was a hybrid combination battery and regular gasoline driven engine. It got about 38 miles on 

a charge. This last year the car of the year at the Detroit Auto 

Show was the Chevrolet Bolt. It is just a straight electric vehicle, 

battery, and it gets about 140 miles to the charge. 

Folks from Hyundai came by and they told me that about in a 

year or so they are going to be launching some new model vehicles 

that will be all electric and that will get, I think they said, about 

250 miles to the charge. They are not going to buy any gasoline; 

they are not going to buy any diesel. 

We have some States that are showing us the way of how to 

make sure that the folks that are not contributing through traditional user fees to the building and maintenance of our roads, while 

actually contributing to reducing the threat of climate change and 

extreme weather that we are seeing everywhere almost every week. 

A couple of us on this Committee, including our Chair and Senator Inhofe and I, I think Senator Cardin as well, met with the 

President several months ago. He brought us in to talk about 

transportation infrastructure. I was surprised; I expected him to 

basically talk for an hour and then say we were finished, but he 

talked for a few minutes and then said what do you all think. I 

shared with him an idea that George Voinovich and I suggested to 

Bo Simpson almost 10 years ago, and the idea was to restore the 

purchasing power of the traditional user fees, gas and diesel, 4 

cents a year for 4 years, and then to index going forward. 

I suggested to the President that that might be a good idea, and 

he cut me off. He cut me off, and he said, that’s not enough. He 

said it ought to be 25 cents a gallon, and it should be now. He said, 

I know there will be a lot of political pushback on that, but he said, 

I will take the heat for that. 

Later in the day I talked to Elaine Chao, our Secretary of Transportation, and I said, was he serious, did he really mean that? She 

said, he has been talking about it every week for weeks. 

So I think, as a former Governor, the key in getting stuff done 

on the financing side is leadership, whether you are the Governor 

for your State or you happen to be President of the United States. 

If the President will show that kind of leadership, we can make a 

whole lot of progress. 

We have provided under previous legislation, as you know, a national pilot for about a dozen States for road user fees. How is that 

going? Any ideas? Any thoughts? 

Go ahead. 

Mr. BRACERAS. Yes. Thank you, Senator, for that question. There 

are a couple activities taking place. There is a coalition of 14 westVerDate Aug 31 2005 06:53 Mar 08, 2019 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00073 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 S:\_EPW\DOCS\35123.TXT SONYA
70 

ern States that are involved in what we call RUC West, Road 

Usage Charge West, and we have been working together for—— 

Senator CARPER. I call that rock and roll. 

[Laughter.] 

Mr. BRACERAS. It is almost that cool. My wife rolls her eyes. 

But we got together, and what we are doing is, we are trying to 

learn even the questions to ask on what it takes to implement a 

road usage charge. So the State of Utah has been participating in 

this for the last 6 years, and what we do is we provide funding and 

we do little projects, all working together to be able to start to 

move this idea forward. 

This last legislative session we brought this to our legislature, 

and we had this discussion about it, and we thought they would 

maybe sponsor a small pilot program on their own. Instead, they 

passed legislation instructing us to actually implement a voluntary 

program for road usage charge for alternative fuel vehicles, essentially the electric vehicles, because they see very much this transition that is happening. It is clearly an inflexion point in the technology for automobiles where it is going to be electric vehicles, and 

it is going to happen faster than most people think. 

So, by January 2020 we have to have a program turned on to actually have an implemented program. So, we are going to learn 

from this, and expectations are that we are going to expand this 

as we become more comfortable with how to do this. 

The importance in transportation—and Bob mentioned this in 

his testimony—the connection between the use and how much you 

pay for that usage or how much impact you make on that system, 

that connection is an important one, and a road usage charge, I believe, provides the ability to make that connection, and it also provides the opportunity to price appropriately. As Mr. Corless said in 

his testimony, it is important to recognize that 5 miles in rural 

Utah is quite different than 5 miles in urban Utah, and one of the 

points that we have been selling to our—not selling—excuse me. 

One of the points, as we have been working with the Farm Bureau 

in Utah and the rural members of our State, is that it will give us 

the ability to not charge on non-public roads. So, if you are running 

on a private road, you won’t be charged for that usage, and that 

is something that is becoming attractive. 

So I think there are ways to be able to implement a program 

that will help us carry the transportation forward. But I don’t 

think this is something that happens in the next 5 years; I think 

it is important to look at the gas tax. That is going to be the way 

we fund transportation, I believe, for the next 20 or so years, but 

we need to recognize a transition is taking place. 

Senator CARPER. All right. 

My time has expired. Let me just ask Mr. Lanham and Mr. 

Corless, do you approve this message? 

Mr. LANHAM. Yes, sir. 

Senator CARPER. Mr. Corless. 

Mr. CORLESS. Senator Carper, I think the Federal Government 

will only follow the States on the next system of pricing. I think 

we have 5 to 10 years to get more than 25 States to really implement what Utah is doing and other States, so we have to get on 

with it. We have a short term problem and a long term problem, 

71 

but that long term problem is going to come at us very quickly, and 

I think we need a majority of the States to be out there deploying 

so the Feds can pick up the best ideas coming from the States and 

localities. 

Senator CARPER. Good. 

All right, thank you very, very much. Thanks for your example 

in Utah, especially. 

Senator BARRASSO. Thank you, Senator Carper. 

Senator Inhofe. 

Senator INHOFE. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Let me, real quickly, try to get three things in, crowded, just so 

I can get your comments, and if there isn’t time to do it, we can 

do this for the record. This will be for all three of you. Those three 

things would be work force development, our freight program, 

which we have included in the past, and then also the project delivery problem. 

Starting off with the work force development, I am very proud, 

and I think you know this, Mr. Lanham, because you have a lot 

of good members in Oklahoma. You have probably heard me say 

this before, but we had a Governor once named Bartlett. He and 

I, when I was in the State senate—and we are talking about way 

back, before most of you guys up here were even born. Back in the 

1960s we started that program. We started that for Oklahoma. It 

has been a leader for a long period of time. In fact, we have recently extended that. 

One of the problems we have in work force development—and I 

want to get comments from each one of you on that issue—is one 

that is across the board. When we did the FAA reauthorization bill, 

I put an amendment on there that you had experimental pilot programs to develop work force development program in the FAA reauthorization bill. 

Anyone want to comment on that issue, work force development? 

Now, you are doing a good job. I know that you guys put forth programs where you can hire people right out of these technical programs, and that has been very, very effective in Oklahoma. 

Mr. LANHAM. Part of what we call our OJT, on the job training, 

program where we liaison with the technical schools or can work 

with the vocational training out of the high schools, but yes, sir, 

works well. It is a major emphasis and focus for AGC of America. 

We are partnering with AASHTO, Federal highways. We have a 

pilot program trying to go. We have five States that have signed 

on that are working with a test project on how to integrate work 

force development. 

We are battling a lot of cultural stigma with regards to most of 

our challenges. It is not with professional trades, engineers; it is 

with the construction trades, the carpenters. And that is not a college bound career. We are offering alternatives to young people and 

well paying careers, and how do we reach through that bias that 

seems to be out there. 

Senator INHOFE. Well, thank you. Is it fair to say that you have 

had comparable success in other States that you have had in Oklahoma? Because you have had success in Oklahoma. 

Mr. LANHAM. We have, yes, sir. 

Senator INHOFE. That is good. 

72 

On the issue of the freight program that we had, Mr. Braceras, 

I notice you made a comment in your written testimony on an 

Oklahoma company, an Enid, Oklahoma, company, so you are familiar with the problem. 

I was chair of this Committee when we did the FAST Act, and 

we developed a program for the first time, a freight program. Any 

comments to how that seems to be working right now or areas for 

improvement on that? 

Mr. BRACERAS. Thank you, Senator. That program is working 

very well for the State of Utah. To me, the freight program was a 

clear recognition by this Committee and Congress of the importance that the transportation system serves for freight. When you 

think about it, the freight is that connection for people. Even if you 

are not out there using the roadways, you depend on the freight 

that is being moved by the highway system and the rail system. 

So I consider the freight program one of the really good additions 

that came about. And we are doing projects right now that we 

could not have gotten to and would not have been able to prioritize 

but for the freight program, so thank you. 

Senator INHOFE. Well, good. 

Mr. Lanham, it was an off the record comment that you made 

in response to something Senator Barrasso stated. The Federal formula program has worked. That is one of the few things in government that seems to be working. It does take into consideration the 

needs of various States; they have a lot of input. When you come 

up with a formula, and you introduce a comprehensive bill, and everyone is mad about it at this table over here, you have done a 

good job. 

Any other comments on the two subjects that I brought up on 

this? 

All right, thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. 

Senator BARRASSO. Thank you, Senator Inhofe. 

Senator Cardin. 

Senator CARDIN. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I thank all three of 

our witnesses. 

I live in Baltimore and commute to Washington, so I have a vested interest in us getting this right. Tomorrow, Senator Van Hollen 

and I have a breakfast meeting in Montgomery County. It is about 

40 miles from my house, and where the meeting is is about 10 

miles from the Capitol, and I will be commuting about 3 hours tomorrow morning. We have a challenge in this region, and we have 

a challenge in this country, so this issue is critically important to 

all of us. 

The FAST Act passed in 2015. We hailed it as a major accomplishment, and it did give us predictability through September 

30th, 2020. This Congress should have dealt with infrastructure. 

We were not able to deal with the transportation infrastructure; we 

did do it with water, and I agree with the assessment of that being 

a great accomplishment. But we are going to have to deal with it 

in the next Congress. It has to be done. 

What I would like to just get your views on is that legislation we 

passed in 2015, it had acceptable balance between highways and 

transit; it dealt with major projects of national significance; it continued creative financing through the TIFIA program, provided 

73 

local flexibilities. We have already talked about that, including the 

transportation alternative programs. Dealt with the regulatory system; tried to streamline that process. Senator Inhofe mentioned 

some of the other areas in dealing with freight. 

Now, I would like to just get your view as to what area of change 

would you like to see most as Congress looks at a multiyear reauthorization of our transportation infrastructure. I would illuminate 

that I hope we would all agree is our No. 1 priority, that is, the 

size of the program, making it as large as possible, obviously requiring revenues; and then, second, making it as long multiyear as 

we possibly can because of the predictability of these projects having a longer lead time, the more aggressive we can be on infrastructure in this country. 

So, recognizing we want a robust program, we want it adequately 

funded. Some of us do serve on the Finance Committee, so we are 

going to have to deal with that issue. But the EPW Committee is 

the principal committee on this issue, and I would just welcome 

your thoughts as to where you would like to see improvement on 

the FAST Act as it relates to the issues that are under our Committee’s jurisdiction. 

Mr. BRACERAS. Thank you, Senator, for that question. We have 

made significant progress over the last, I would say, 15 to 20 years 

in how the program is being delivered right now. There has been 

a lot of work done in streamlining the project delivery. 

And when I use that word streamlining, I hope it is not looked 

at in an offensive way. The flexibility that Congress has given to 

State DOTs, we have assumed NEPA, the environmental process. 

The State of Utah has taken over that responsibility, and it clearly 

has allowed us to do the right thing at the right time for our citizens. We are the biggest champions of the environment in Utah; 

that is where we live, that is what we love, and our citizens hold 

us accountable for that, so I thank you for that flexibility in that 

area. 

I would ask that we continue to look at options for providing additional flexibility for how we use the funding that we have available to us. One of the things that we do aggressively is we exchange Federal money for State money for our locals. Our locals 

don’t do as many Federal projects as we do, and they struggle with 

the process. So, they line up, and we exchange at 85 cents on the 

dollar, and we give them State money that gives them the flexibility to deliver the projects that they need for their citizens, and 

they can deliver it more effectively and efficiently, and we then 

manage the Federal program because we do it every day. 

So, I think that is an example of how the Federal money brings 

some restrictions with how we deliver these projects, and it doesn’t 

have to be as complicated as it is. If Congress and the Administration can focus and be partners on the outcomes of what we are trying to achieve. We are trying to save lives, we are trying to lower 

the total cost of ownership of our infrastructure by doing the right 

project at the right time. And we are trying to improve mobility so 

you don’t have to spend 3 hours commuting to a meeting that probably shouldn’t take that long. This is all about quality of life and 

our economies, so if we could focus on those outcomes more, provide 

74 

flexibility for States and locals to be able to deliver the program, 

I believe we can make another step forward. 

Mr. CORLESS. Senator Cardin, three things quickly. First is innovation and technology. I think we do have some programs in the 

current FAST Act, but we have to make it real. We have to go beyond just sort of eligibility. We have to really push a whole different thought process around ITS, innovation technology, and really imbedding those in how we operate the transportation system, 

No. 1. 

Two, I think we have to strengthen regional planning, rural 

planning, build capacity among organizations like mine. 

Then finally, I think—I credit Utah for this but also the State 

of Virginia—doing a lot of very quantitative data driven project selection using data. We have to basically re-instill trust among the 

public that those investments, limited dollars, are getting the biggest bang for the buck. I think Virginia has gone from zero to 60 

with its SMART SCALE process. It did that after it passed a major 

revenue increase at the State level. It is transparent. People understand what benefits they get from those projects. 

We have to get into that across all the States and all the regions 

in the country, and I think the USDOT can have a strong role in 

helping build that capacity for us on the data side. 

Mr. LANHAM. Senator, I would just add two more things that 

have been discussed. One is backup on work force development. I 

think there is an opportunity to provide for work force development 

encouragement in the next reauthorization. The second is, continue 

to look for opportunities to add what I would call contemporaneous 

reviews in the NEPA process and the permitting process. There are 

still some opportunities where those things can run concurrently 

instead of consecutively and save some time, because we end up 

with a duplicate process, and I think we have a hard time explaining that to the public, what we do. 

Senator CARDIN. Thank you. 

Senator BARRASSO. Thank you, Senator Cardin. 

Senator Wicker. 

Senator WICKER. Mr. Chairman and Mr. Ranking Member, I 

have to say that this has been a very disappointing hearing. I was 

hoping you would choose some magicians to come in here, perhaps 

some alchemist to tell us how to stir a pot of lead, get it to the 

right temperature, and turn it into silver and gold, and we 

wouldn’t actually have to pay for infrastructure. 

But here we have learned, and we are hearing it from both sides 

of the aisle, presumably even from the President of the United 

States, that if we want to build roads and bridges and infrastructure, we have to come up with some revenue solutions to actually 

pay for this. So, I am just heartsick and disappointed that we are 

having to go down this path. 

But since we are, Mr. Braceras, you are saying that the Highway 

Trust Fund is a solid mechanism for delivering the funds in the 

right way, is that correct? 

Mr. BRACERAS. Yes, sir. 

Senator WICKER. And you think for the next 10 to 20 years the 

gasoline tax is going to be the way to put money into that Trust 

Fund? 

75 

Mr. BRACERAS. I believe so, yes, sir. 

Senator WICKER. OK. Do you advocate or have you given any 

thought to going from the per gallon to a percentage of the price, 

as some States have done? 

Mr. BRACERAS. Yes. In the State of Utah we haven’t made that 

jump, but we have indexed the gas tax, and the gas tax rises based 

on CPI. 

Senator WICKER. So it is the same result. 

Mr. BRACERAS. It is close to the same result. The legislature has 

put a cap, but it is a pretty high cap, on how high that will continue to go, and every year our tax commission makes that adjustment based on the cost. 

Senator WICKER. When was the last per gallon enacted? 

Mr. BRACERAS. In 2015. 

Senator WICKER. OK. And what is it? 

Mr. BRACERAS. Today, it is sitting at 29—— 

Senator WICKER. I am asking the Federal. 

Mr. BRACERAS. The Federal rate is 18.4 on gas. 

Senator WICKER. And when was that implemented? 

Mr. BRACERAS. In 1993. 

Senator WICKER. OK. What if we had indexed that back at that 

point? Where would we be? 

Mr. BRACERAS. We have lost about 50 percent of our purchasing 

power, Senator, since that point. Now, based on what you set as 

an index, I don’t know if you would completely make that up, but 

we would not be fighting. In my opinion, we are fighting two battles: we are fighting the inflation battle that is a pretty powerful 

one, and we are also fighting the fact that we haven’t made a 

change in so long. 

Senator WICKER. So, if we had just kept it even with inflation, 

we would be 50 percent better? 

Mr. BRACERAS. Yes, sir. 

Senator WICKER. Or words to that effect. Now, your organization 

also has published a matrix of illustrative surface transportation 

revenue options which would be ways, in decades to come, to move 

to other forms. And then we have been talking about this user fee 

or whatever the terms are, vehicles per mile and things like that. 

Let me ask you, Mr. Braceras, which of those options do you 

think are the most viable going forward? 

And then if Mr. Corless and Mr. Lanham could follow up and explain exactly mechanically how this works and we differentiate between rural roads and private roads and interstate highways in our 

ability to collect the revenues, and are there privacy concerns that 

you think are real in terms of vehicle owners having to give out 

that information. 

Mr. BRACERAS. Senator, I will speak for Carlos Braceras as Executive Director of the Utah DOT in this response. Yes, I think the 

gas tax is the way to go in the future. As an association, we provided a menu of options, and over the next 18 months we want to 

home in on a better way of providing advice to Congress on what 

options are available. 

But as you have the challenge of getting all your members on the 

same page, we have the same challenges, 52 members to get on the 

same page as well. But I believe the gas tax is the way to go in 

76 

the near future, and I also believe that road usage charge, which 

is the term we are using instead of VMT, but road usage charge 

is the path forward for a longer term fix to this, and we need to 

start transitioning in. 

Senator WICKER. OK, so how hard is it to differentiate? How do 

we do that, between the rural roads and the interstates and private 

roads? 

Mr. LANHAM. Senator, you can differentiate, but it will require 

technology that we have seen some pushback with GPS tracking. 

Obviously, where you have driven has been an issue for many 

groups with regards to privacy; on what road was I driving at what 

time. But that is exactly the information we need because engineers, the smart ones, that is exactly how they design these roads, 

is what kind of traffic is going to be on and when. So, I think it 

feeds to the managers of the system how to better take care of the 

roads and design them better in the future when we actually have 

better data in the entire network. 

Senator WICKER. How do we do it, Mr. Corless? 

Mr. CORLESS. Well, Senator, either you do odometer readings, 

which is very imprecise and every road is the same, every mile is 

the same, or you do it with what is already the technologies installed in most vehicles; you have a device using GPS, it knows 

where you are going. There are definite privacy concerns. 

The good news about us having 5 to 7 years is I believe we can 

work those out. But I think we have to be precise; we have to use 

GPS, because there is a fairness issue that I brought up, and I 

don’t think every mile is the same if you travel rural versus urban. 

Senator BARRASSO. Thank you, Senator Wicker. Staff has been 

instructed, based on your admonition, to make sure that for the 

next Committee hearing we will have an authoritative, credible, 

and accurate alchemist to make a presentation. 

Senator WICKER. Thank you very much. I appreciate your attending to that. 

[Laughter.] 

Senator BARRASSO. Senator Van Hollen. 

Senator VAN HOLLEN. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Thank you all for your testimony. I really want to pick up on 

Senator Wicker’s questions because I think we all recognize, on a 

bipartisan basis, we have huge infrastructure needs in many areas 

and obviously in surface transportation, and a big gap between 

those needs and the resources available, and I think the political 

stumbling block really has been identifying a way that we can 

bring in those revenues. 

As I understand the testimony of all of you, in the short term, 

you believe some kind of increase in the Federal motor fuels tax 

is the way to go. Is that correct for all three of you? 

Mr. BRACERAS. Yes. 

Mr. LANHAM. Yes. 

Mr. CORLESS. Yes. 

Senator VAN HOLLEN. And just in terms of the politics of this, 

as you look around the country now, that is still the primary funding mechanism for States, is it not? 

Mr. BRACERAS. Yes. 

Mr. LANHAM. Yes. 

77 

Mr. CORLESS. Yes. 

Senator VAN HOLLEN. All right. And that is true in States that 

are dominated by more Republican Governors and legislatures, as 

well as Democratic Governors, right? And you increased it in Utah 

in 2015 and a lot of other States in the last 5 years increased their 

gas taxes? 

Mr. BRACERAS. Thirty-one other States. 

Senator VAN HOLLEN. In the last? 

Mr. BRACERAS. Thirty-one other States since 2012. 

Senator VAN HOLLEN. Since 2012. So I just think, as we look at 

both the short term and then the longer term, it is important to 

look at some of the State activity. And I agree, as we look to the 

long term, the States are also sort of examples of innovations that 

we should see how they test out and whether we can adopt them. 

In the absence of additional Federal funding, States, or certainly 

localities that are able to do it based on the concentration of populations, are moving forward more in the area of public-private partnerships, is that right? 

Mr. BRACERAS. Yes. 

Senator VAN HOLLEN. And can you talk about how that has sort 

of picked up around the country? I know in Maryland, for one of 

our major transit projects, the Purple Line, it is a public-private 

partnership. So, can you talk about the examples of where that has 

worked well, but also some of the potential horror stories that people encounter with public-private partnerships and where you see 

that fitting in to this equation? 

Mr. BRACERAS. I am not sure if I can come up with a horror 

story, but I think the important thing on a public-private partnership is, again, one size does not fit all in these because we are not 

all the same. A public-private partnership, I have characterized to 

our legislature before, is really everything on the spectrum. 

If you look at when we went into design build to deliver projects, 

that is an increase in the public-private partnership when you are 

working with the contractors and the consultants. Or construction 

manager-general contractor, that is another movement on the scale 

of a public-private partnership. 

Maybe this is the horror story. We have evaluated doing full tolling on a brand new freeway facility as a public-private partnership, 

and the public pushback was tremendous against that because 

there was a fear that they were going to lose their ability to control; they were going to be one level away from being able to control. 

But we also do public-private partnerships right now in our rest 

areas, where we work with private companies to provide facilities 

and features in our rest areas that we couldn’t have done before. 

We do public-private partnerships with our Web based applications, where we will provide advertising opportunities. Our legislature is going to move a bill this session. 

We have talked about doing it with our IMTs, Incident Management Teams, but our public safety officers did not want to have 

commercialization of those Incident Management Teams, but we 

are going to do courtesy patrols that will be public-private partnerships. 

78 

So the idea is, I think, a very important one that we need to continue, and it is going to continue to evolve in the country, and I 

believe there are opportunities for public-private partnerships 

whether you are in a rural State or in an urban area as well, so 

it is not one size fits all. 

Senator VAN HOLLEN. Got it. 

Mr. CORLESS. Senator Van Hollen, I am a big fan of public-private partnerships. In a small scale, with a Civil Lab program, that 

is what we have been experimenting with in Sacramento, California. 

But I do want to say something that I think is very important. 

I don’t believe that a public-private partnership is the way to generate revenue that is just sort of sitting out there mythically waiting on the sidelines; it is a way to manage risk. That is really the 

benefit of P3s, is that it manages risk; it puts it in the private sector. In order to do that well, we in the public sector have to be good 

dealmakers; we have to understand actually how to make a deal 

and what the private sector brings and what we need in terms of 

the public interest. 

But with a few exceptions, toll roads perhaps being one of them, 

we are not making a profit in the transportation sector. That is not 

what we are doing. We are moving people and goods and bits of information. We decided long ago that movement was a public good, 

so there is not, generally speaking, a profit there. So we have to 

be careful that this is not some sort of a recipe for them coming 

to save the Federal transportation program. It is a tool which we 

should be using far more often. 

Senator VAN HOLLEN. And let me be clear. I think private-public 

partnerships are an innovative way to try to leverage some additional resources. As you say, the goal is not to make a profit, and 

that is where public oversight is absolutely essential, kind of a utility type model. There have been some examples, like parking garages, where all of a sudden people were paying a much bigger fee, 

and it was going into bank accounts of some Wall Street banks. 

So I am just suggesting that if we don’t get our act together at 

the Federal level and increase the Federal funding component of 

what we do here, you are going to see more pressure for leveraging 

additional funds through public-private partnerships. And while 

they may be available in both rural and urban areas, they are 

going to be more available in urban areas, so I am just encouraging 

everybody to come to the table to come up with a solution for Federal revenue. 

Senator BARRASSO. Thank you, Senator Van Hollen. 

We have a briefing with the Secretary of State and Secretary of 

Defense coming up within about 25 minutes, so if we could try to 

keep it to 5 minutes each. 

Senator Rounds. 

Senator ROUNDS. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Mr. Corless, you indicated earlier that you really like the idea of 

the options that are made available so that we can address local 

needs based upon what the demands are in an urban versus a 

rural area, and I got to thinking it sounds good because in South 

Dakota we are rural, and to be able to do this is helpful for us. Yet 

at the same time, one of the benefits of having a Highway Trust 

79 

Fund, and one that has stood the test of time over literally decades, 

has been that this has been a Trust Fund for infrastructure development, and we restrict it to that. 

The more lenient we are in terms of what is included in that 

means, then, that we risk the chance that the public will see this 

as one more opportunity to tax them for those areas that may be 

somewhat related to transportation, but not necessarily for brick 

and steel and so forth, and asphalt. 

Talk to me about how you view this in terms of the urban challenges you face and how we still keep that sense of confidence in 

the public that gas tax money is going to go to roads and bridges, 

and not to other types of designs and attempted changes of, as you 

say, moving people at the right time of the day as opposed to actually building concrete roads. 

Mr. CORLESS. It is a great question, Senator. Let me be clear. I 

think to keep the trust in the Trust Fund we have to keep it focused on transportation, on moving people, goods, and information. 

I don’t advocate for any more mission creep than that. 

However, I do think that we are at a point now in our transportation system where we need to actually begin to transition from 

constructing to operating. We have high poverty in our rural areas. 

Moving people from point A to point B sometimes takes operations 

funding. 

To be clear, the Trust Fund was set up to build the interstate 

system. It was set up as a construction program, so it is a question 

in front of you in terms of how much you want to allow some operations. There is some flexibility already. We have the congestion 

mitigation air quality funds, CMAQ, the STP block grant funds. We 

are able to use some eligibility in some of those. 

I don’t think we should transition to an entirely operational program, but I do think it is in the Federal interest to basically be a 

seed investor to get some of the best ideas out there going, but to 

limit it, say, for a 3 year window on some of these more operational 

improvements. That is how we use our CMAQ funds. I think we 

could actually extend that into other sources of funds so that we 

can get the most innovative projects possible. 

Senator ROUNDS. Thank you. 

Mr. Braceras, your thoughts. Once again, I think this is the biggest threat we have to being able to pass a long term project, is 

making sure that we can find the appropriate split between, as Mr. 

Corless has suggested, operational needs versus construction and 

reconstruction needs. 

Your comments? 

Mr. BRACERAS. Yes. Thank you, Senator. I believe focus is very 

important in what we do. That is how we are going to develop the 

trust that we need from our citizens to be able to deliver this program. In the State of Utah, maybe we are lucky in this way. Our 

Federal money makes up about 20 percent of our total program, so 

we have the gas tax that I talked about earlier, but we also have 

just over 21 percent of the State-wide sales tax that goes for capacity projects. So, we focus our entire Federal program on the simplest maintenance projects that we have on the State, so we are 

doing pavements and bridge projects, and we can very clearly show 

80 

what that program is delivering for our citizens, and it really is 

that focus, I think, is important. 

So, as you consider where you want to go with the next reauthorization, I believe being very clear on what you are trying to achieve 

with the Federal program is going to be important. We are going 

to put a man on the moon type of thing. But that is a very important part, I believe. We have to provide that vision. 

Senator ROUNDS. Mr. Lanham, we are going to run out of money, 

according to the forecast right now; the Trust Fund is there. What 

should be the focus of the Trust Fund resources we have? 

Mr. LANHAM. Senator, I think we need to take a hard look at 

what our mission is on the Federal level and what it is that we 

need to be able to spend money on, and what should be the local 

responsibility. I think we are at a point where I think do we have 

the money? Can we afford it? If we can’t, then what do we need 

to be doing with it on a priority, and that is what we need to focus 

on. I think we stretch too far with too little, and we are not completing things. 

Senator ROUNDS. Thank you. 

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I yield back. 

Senator BARRASSO. Thank you, Senator Rounds. 

For the Senators just arriving, we have a briefing with the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense in about 15 minutes, 

so I am going to ask that people try to stay within the 5 minutes. 

Senator Gillibrand. 

Senator GILLIBRAND. Thank you, Chairman Barrasso and Ranking Member Carper, for holding this hearing today to examine our 

Nation’s transportation infrastructure needs. 

In the Northeast, and in New York in particular, we are faced 

with the challenge of aging infrastructure that has outlived its useful life and needs repair or replacement. On top of that, climate 

change fueled sea level rise and extreme weather threaten to put 

our infrastructure at risk if we do not rebuild it in a more resilient 

way. 

Our rail infrastructure is literally crumbling. Our century old 

Hudson Tunnel, used by Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor and hundreds of thousands of New Jersey transit commuters each day are 

at serious risk of failure. This already aging tunnel has been made 

worse by flooding and corrosion during Super Storm Sandy. Closure of that tunnel would shut down Amtrak service for people trying to get from New York, Boston, and Providence on one side of 

the Hudson River to cities like Newark, Philadelphia, Wilmington, 

and Washington, DC, on the other side. It would be nothing short 

of a disaster, and an avoidable one at that. 

That is why I cannot talk about our infrastructure needs without 

mentioning this fact: every day the current Administration delays 

moving forward with the Gateway Program, they are gambling not 

just with New York’s economy, but the economy of the entire 

Northeast region. The Administration should stop stalling and 

work with New York and New Jersey in a constructive way. They 

should begin by releasing the environmental impact statement for 

the Hudson Tunnel so that we can move this critical project forward. 

81 

We also need to ensure that we are fully investing in our subways, commuter railroads, bus services. At a minimum, we need to 

protect the 20 percent set-aside for mass transit in the Highway 

Trust Fund. 

But we can be doing even more to deliver additional dollars for 

transit capital and maintenance projects. Funding is necessary to 

fix safety problems and expand capacity to keep up with the demands of riders who will rely on public transportation to get 

around. We shouldn’t be waiting for trains to break down or crash 

into platforms, or multi-hour delays that are basically leaving our 

commuters stranded, unable to get to work on time. There is such 

a sense of urgency in our city right now that we have to do something to improve our subways and commuter railroads, so we have 

to get serious about the problem. 

New York’s infrastructure challenges are not limited to just rail 

and transit. According to our most recent data, there are more than 

18,000 structurally deficient bridges in our State, including the 

Brooklyn Bridge. We also need to think about our roads and highways, and how to integrate technologies like autonomous vehicles 

that have very different operational requirements than existing vehicles, and that includes everything from roadway signage to lane 

markings to pedestrian safety. There are also many rural highways 

in upstate New York, as there are across the country, that will 

prove challenging for these vehicles to operate safely on. 

I hope that Congress looks forward to the next surface transportation reauthorization in 2020, as well as other legislative priorities 

for infrastructure. We have to take a comprehensive approach that 

provides funding necessities for highways, bridges, railroads, safe 

and resilient investments that meet our transportation and mobility needs. 

Two questions with my minute and 40 remaining. 

Mr. Corless, what more should Congress be doing to invest in 

public transit and ensure that transit agencies have the ability to 

maintain their existing infrastructure and meet the current and future capacity needs of riders? 

Mr. CORLESS. Senator Gillibrand, thank you for that question. 

Even in Sacramento we are now having over 40 days a year above 

100 degrees. Our light rail system is breaking down due to the 

heat, and we are stranding people, and they are walking along the 

train tracks. 

So whether it is the New York Metro region or a city like Sacramento, here is the fact: we have aging mass transit infrastructure that was funded federally in the last five decades that is now 

actually about to fall apart, and you cannot do that with just simple FTA formula funds, so we need some sort of infusion, a pilot 

program, if you will, to rebuild the transit systems big and small 

across the country, because the formula funds are not going to do 

that, and it is getting past the point of being unsafe. 

Senator GILLIBRAND. And what would be the consequences for 

transit riders if funding of the mass transit account of the Highway 

Trust Fund was reduced or eliminated? 

Mr. CORLESS. It would be pretty catastrophic, because I think, 

again, you are already seeing—I don’t have to tell you about the 

New York subway and Amazon moving over to Long Island City. 

82 

You are having a hard enough problem as it is. So I think the connection between transportation in general, transit in our major 

metro areas and economic prosperity is strong, and we can’t lose 

it. 

Senator GILLIBRAND. Thank you. 

Thank you, all of you, for participating. 

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Senator BARRASSO. Thank you, Senator Gillibrand. 

As I turn to Senator Capito, we are going to conclude the hearing 

a few minutes before 11, so that gives time for 5 minutes for you 

and 5 minutes for Senator Whitehouse. 

Senator CAPITO. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Thank all of you for being here today. It has been an interesting 

conversation. I am from a rural State, West Virginia, and we would 

be benefit immensely from future investments in surface transportation. Some people think Senator Byrd has paved the entire State 

of West Virginia, but we still have things like the King Coal Highway and Coalfields Expressway and Corridor H that we are looking 

on, and they are different highways to build because of our terrain. 

I am sure Mr. Braceras can identify with that, being from a mountainous State as well. 

But just last year West Virginians voted via referendum to ap- prove a $1.6 billion in road bonds to fund projects across the State. 

I talk about it quite a bit because our State is known to not be one 

of the wealthier States, wealthier citizens, but our citizens really 

sort of rose up and said this is important to us. We use our roads 

frequently, we are rural, we use them for everything, and crumbling bridges and potholes and other things that are difficult for us 

are very important to everyday lives of everybody citizens. So $1.6 

billion is quite a big stretch. 

And you noted in your testimony, Mr. Braceras, that 33 other 

States have made other improvements, 31 States have raised their 

gas tax, which we did that as well. 

So, what I would like to see in a future infrastructure package 

is a reward to the States that are really stepping up and putting 

their bang for the buck by their States, and I would like to know, 

if anybody would like to respond to that in terms of how you think 

that the State really taking that initiative. 

You mentioned the Federal input into Idaho was only, what, 22 

percent. That is pretty impressive. What would your comment be 

on that? 

Mr. BRACERAS. I think, recognizing that States are stepping up 

and filling the needs, the citizens clearly need and want transportation systems to work; they depend on it every single day. 

Senator CAPITO. And it is a political winner, too. 

Mr. BRACERAS. I had a phone call from the Wall Street Journal 

right after the legislature raised the gas tax in 2015, and they said, 

well, isn’t Utah a pretty red State? This is unusual for a conservative State. 

And I said, you know what, it is a conservative principle to take 

care of what you have and have a lower cost of ownership, and that 

is what our legislature saw, is that by investing in infrastructure, 

they were actually saving the taxpayers money in the long run; and 

that is difficult because you are looking at a longer I call it political 

83 

timeframe is not really the same as an engineering timeframe 

sometimes, or economic timeframe, so it becomes difficult to do, but 

you have to develop that trust. 

So it is very critical, I believe, for this Nation to be able to step 

up and develop what I call a world class transportation system. If 

we are going to continue to be leaders in this world, we need a 

world class transportation system. 

Senator CAPITO. Let me ask you, Mr. Lanham, a question. I am 

a big proponent of expanding our broadband infrastructure, which 

I think goes hand in hand with our surface transportation. In your 

experience of building, what are you seeing advances around the 

country in terms of dig once kind of propositions where you are 

putting the infrastructure in for fiber and other things at the same 

time you are doing improvements to the road transportation or 

building a new road? 

Mr. LANHAM. Yes, ma’am, Senator. We see a lot happening in 

that area. It is complicated, too, because there are so many different entities that own these facilities to get them to come to the 

table, because they are providing service for the public, they are occupying the public right of way free of charge, and yet they provide 

nothing but headaches to my friends for trying to execute projects. 

But we are seeing come and trench, where in one spot everybody 

goes in at the same time; better engineering, better documentation 

about where they are at. 

So, what we see is then building a library of information that we 

will be able to protect that asset in the future because we know 

where it is at and what is actually there with an accommodation 

for expansion. 

Senator CAPITO. Well, thank you for that. 

The other thing I would comment, one of the comments you made 

about constructing a toll road in Idaho, we had a very similar experience in West Virginia where it was simply a 30 mile four lane to 

make four lane, and the local folks just really got very, very upset. 

I mean, it was going to be $4 both ways. That is a lot of money. 

So they were going to opt to go back down on that dangerous 

two-lane, which defeats the purpose of building a safer highway. So 

sometimes toll roads may be an answer in a lot of cases, but in 

rural areas it is really, really tough to have localities buy into that. 

Thank you all very much. 

Senator BARRASSO. Thank you, Senator Capito. 

Senator Whitehouse. 

Senator WHITEHOUSE. Thank you, Chairman. 

I just want to say a word about smaller coastal communities and 

the infrastructure needs that they have. I know Utah is not very 

coastal, and even Sacramento isn’t very coastal. 

Mr. CORLESS. Not yet. 

Senator WHITEHOUSE. Yes, exactly. 

[Laughter.] 

Senator WHITEHOUSE. We are working on it. Our problem in 

Rhode Island is that by the time Sacramento gets coastal, there is 

a hell of a lot less of Rhode Island, and we don’t want that to happen. 

But we have, in my State, about 10 to 11 inches of sea level rise 

since the hurricane of 1938, the really monster storm that hit us 

84 

back then. So not only do you stack up that extra sea level for the 

next big one, but it is not that way just along the shore, it is also 

that way all the way out to sea. So, when you are dealing with 

storm surge, you have that whole higher heap of ocean out there 

that is now surging ashore. 

People aren’t very expert yet on how you correlate additional sea 

level rise to storm surge. You know it is at least about 10 to 11 

inches. It could be a lot more. So we have communities who are facing this problem. We have communities where, in a storm, you 

have to figure out where you pre-deploy a fire truck. 

Senator Gillibrand was here. One of her neighborhoods burned in 

New York because the fire and the fire trucks were separated by 

a flooded area. If that happens, it is a terrible thing for folks. 

So there is this whole new planning for increased sea level risks, 

storm risks that coastal communities are facing, and people are 

starting to get on their case. Moody’s is starting to judge their municipal bonds based on sea level rise storm surge kind of risks and 

how ready they are for that. Freddie Mac is warning of a property 

values collapse in coastal areas, which would have a terrible effect, 

obviously, on the tax base of those smaller communities, so there 

is a warning coming from Freddie Mac along with the warning 

from Moody’s. 

And if they turn for help to FEMA and try to figure out from 

FEMA maps what this risk looks like, they are being misled, because our experience has been that FEMA maps are spectacularly 

wrong. We have had to do State level and local work in Rhode Island to do the coastal mapping, Mr. Chairman, because FEMA is 

unreliable as a partner in terms of the accuracy of its mapping. 

And it is not just Rhode Island. When the big hurricane hit 

Houston, there was a 50 percent error between what FEMA predicted in terms of flooding and what flooding actually took place. 

So, if you are in a coastal community, you have your municipal 

bond people looking at you with a glinty eye saying, what is up, 

are you ready for this? You have Freddie Mac saying, by the way, 

these property values you depend on to pay for your municipality 

might collapse, so there is not just a lot of money pouring in. The 

mapping that you have to rely on to make these plans is not reliable. And there you are as a town manager trying to figure out how 

the hell do I handle this. 

So I love the conversation that we are having about infrastructure. I am all for very big investments in infrastructure. But before 

you do the infrastructure, you have to have the plan so that the 

community can get it right. And I think we have a big gap right 

now in helping particularly coastal communities plan for this. It 

may be that the weird temperature considerations that you described in Sacramento, Mr. Corless, are a similar kind of analogy, 

something new that small communities have to deal with. 

I know that Phoenix, Arizona, for instance, is having to entirely 

figure out how it redoes its emergency response staffing because it 

gets so hot for so long there that people can’t work out of doors in 

that heat; and if you are a firefighter, you can’t decide to work indoors that day, you have to go where the fire is. 

So they have to wholly redo how they staff, and they have to 

have a whole extra team for cooling people down. It changes the 

85 

way they work. The airport had to be closed because the tarmac 

was melting and the air was too thin for jets. So there are all these 

problems that emerge, and it is really hard for local communities 

faced with these problems to think their way through them with 

no support in a very constrained municipal budgetary environment. 

So, any way in which you all working on this can help keep your 

focus on this and your attention on this, I think it is really, really 

important. Just going back and rebuilding in place what we already built is probably not going to work. We have to understand 

how dramatically the climate is changing. And if we are going to 

build 30, 40, 50 year projects, we have to be planning for the full 

lifecycle of those projects. 

So my time is out, and I just urge you to think about that as we 

work forward. Infrastructure is great, but these peculiar and 

changing conditions that are driven by climate change and carbon 

emissions absolutely need to be taken into account, and we are 

leaving small communities stranded without the support to help 

them work through a lot of new science and a lot of new engineering. 

Senator BARRASSO. Well, thank you very much, Senator Whitehouse. 

Thank you to each of our witnesses who are here. We are very 

grateful. We are going to leave the hearing record open for 2 weeks 

in case others have questions. They may provide written questions. 

We would appreciate your written responses. 

I want to thank all of the members for attending, as well. I especially want to thank our esteemed guests for their time. 

Yes. 

Senator CARPER. All I want to say is we have a lot of hearings 

in this Committee and other committees that we serve on. Some of 

them are really good; some of them maybe less. This was terrific. 

You all did a great job, and I just want to applaud you and thank 

you for being here. It may serve as a catalyst and give us some 

good ideas to work with. Thank you. 

Senator BARRASSO. Thank you again. 

The hearing is adjourned. 

[Whereupon, at 11:01 a.m. the Committee was adjourned.] 

[Additional material submitted for the record follows:] 

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Testimony by 

American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) 

Before the 

Senate Environment and Public Works Committee 

Hearing on 

'~Addressing America's Surface Transportation Infrastructure 

Needs" 

Wednesday, November 28, 2018 

9:30AM 

Thank you Chairman Barrasso and Ranking Member Carper for convening this 

important hearing. The American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) 

appreciates the opportunity to submit testimony for this hearing. AAPA will be 

releasing a comprehensive FAST Act reauthorization platform in the coming 

months. This testimony focuses on the surface transportation needs of the freight 

network. 

AAP A is the unified voice of the seaport industry in the Americas, representing 

more than 130 public port authorities in the U.S., Canada, the Caribbean and Latin 

America. This testimony is on behalf of our U.S. members. Seaports deliver vital 

goods and services to consumers, ship U.S. exports, create jobs and support local 

and national economic growth. Seaports are vital economic engines whose cargo 

activity supports over 23 million American jobs and accounts for over a quarter of 

the U.S. economy. In 2014, U.S. seaports generated nearly $4.6 trillion in total 

economic activity. 

Freight and specifically ports took a big step forward with the passage of the of the 

FAST Act. With the creation of two funding programs; Projects of Highway and 

Freight Significance (discretionary) and National Highway Freight Program 

(formula) the FAST Act provided a total of $11 billion in dedicated freight funding 

over five years. 

However, ofthe $11 billion only $1.13 billion is multimodal eligible, far below 

what is needed to build out a 21st century multimodal freight network. Currently, 

only $200 million of multimodal eligibility remain in the INFRA account. Earlier 

this year, the American Association of Port Authorities (AAP A) identified more 

than $20 billion in multimodal needs for public port authorities alone over the next 

decade. A top priority for the port industry continues to be multimodal funding. 
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The challenges confronting the freight programs are funding levels and project 

eligibility. The current freight programs are funded out of the highway trust fund, 

which means that eligible projects are primarily highway focused. Highways are 

important to our freight network, but ports are multimodal facilitators, meaning 

rail, trucks and ships all need access to ports. One could argue that as our supply 

chain becomes more sophisticated and there are more inland distribution centers 

with the advent of e-commerce, multimodal funding will become even more in 

demand. 

To build off the work in the FAST Act, AAPA believes that all freight program 

funding should be I 00 percent multi modal. A first step in accomplishing this 

would be to lift the multimodal cap on the INFRA program. AAPA strongly 

supports Ranking Member Carper's legislation (S.3587) that repeals the 

multimodal cap on the discretionary grant program created in the FAST Act. 

The FAST Act has provided the programmatic framework for a 21st century 

multimodal freight network. However, to fully leverage the success of the FAST 

Act freight provisions, the next reauthorization bill will need to address increasing 

funding as well as identifying a multimodal funding source or sources. 

To address the funding shortfall. AAPA supports raising the gas tax as well as a 

waybill fee concept and we encourage the Committee to carefully consider these 

options. AAPA recommends that funding be dedicated to the freight programs. 

Equally important, from a supply chain perspective, the FAST Act requires that 

states complete state freight plans to continue receiving their freight formula 

funding. The results have been telling. To date, 95 percent of the states have 

submitted multimodal state freight plans to the U.S. Department of Transportation. 

This is important because it signals that states recognize the value and have the 

demand for multimodal projects. 

AAP A looks forward to working with the EPW Committee and Congress as we 

move forward on an infrastructure package and the FAST Act reauthorization bill 

next Congress. 

2 
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ASCE 

AMlRICIIN SOCilTY Of CIVIL lNC!NllHS 

Statement for the Record of 

Washinb,rton Ofllce 

101 Cons1ltul!on Ave N W 

SUJte 375 East 

Washmgton, D.C 20001 

(202) 789-7850 

Fax (202) 789-7859 

The American Society of Civil Engineers 

on 

"Addressing America's Surface Transpot·tation Infrastructure Needs" 

United States Senate 

Committee on Environment and Public Works 

November 28, 2018 
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Introduction 

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) 1 appreciates the opportunity to submit a 

statement on the importance of long-term, strategic investment in our nation's surface 

transportation infrastructure systems, ASCE is eager to work with the Committee in 2019 

and beyond to find ways to further improve our nation's vital surface transportation 

infrastructure systems. 

Our nation's surface transportation infrastructures systems are critical to our nation's 

public safety, national security, and economic competitiveness. In the 20th Century, the 

federal government led the way in transportation infrastructure by building our nation's 

greatest infrastructure systems. Leading back to the Works Progress Administration 

projects completed during the Great Depression to the creation of the Interstate Highway 

System in the 1950s and 1960s, the 20th Century will be remembered as a time when 

Americans took pride in building a strong and lasting infrastructure foundation. I 1owever, 

since that pivotal time, federa11eadership and investment have decreased, and the condition 

of the nation's infrastructure suffered. Nevertheless, infrastructure's relationship to public 

safety, national security, and economic competitiveness demonstrate the need for a strong 

infrastructure system because of the critical role the interests of federal government has 

played. After all, Article I, Section 8 of the US Constitution includes infrastructure and 

commerce as a federal responsibility. Therefore, a strong federal role in policy and funding 

is necessary to assure a national surface transportation system that meets the national needs. 

Presently, many of our surface transportation system assets have reached the end of their 

design life. Coupled with long undcrinvestment and inadequate support for the Highway 

Trust Fund (HTF), a large and growing investment gap of $1.1 trillion over the next ten 

years has emerged. This gap must be closed if we hope to both repair and modernize our 

surface transportation infrastructure systems to be competitive in the 21 ''century. 

ASCE's 2017ln(rastructure Report Card 

Infrastructure is the foundation that connects the nation's businesses, communities. and 

people, serves as the backbone to the U.S. economy, and is vital to the nation's public 

health and welfare. Every four years, ASCE publishes the lnfi·astructure Report Card. 

which grades 16 major infrastructure categories using a simple "A" to 'T" school report 

card format. ASCE released its 2017 lnfrastructure Report Card2

, giving the nation's 

1 ASCE was founded in 1852 and is the country's oldest national civil engineering organization. It represents 

more than 150,000 civil engineers individually in private practice, government, industry, and academia who 

are dedicated to the advancement of the science and profession of civil engineering. ASCE is a non-profit 

educational and professional society organized under Part 1.50l(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code. 

www.asce.org, 
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overall infrastructure a grade of ''0+," with an investment gap of $2 trillion over the next 

I 0 years and the total investment needed is nearly $4.6 trillion. Our surface transportation 

infrastructure categories earned subpar grades, with bridges at ·'C+." roads "D," and transit 

"D-.'' and have a $1.1 trillion I 0-year investment gap. 

Our nation's surface transportation investment gap and subpar grades are a result of our 

dated federal motor fuels tax and inability to properly fund the HTF and our current 

transportation infrastructure needs. Continued underinvestment of the HTF will cause our 

surface transportation infi·astructure to further degrade. Implicitly, failing to sufficiently 

invest in America's deteriorating infrastructure will have a cascading impact on the 

nation's economy-impacting business productivity, gross domestic product (GOP), 

employment, personal income, international competitiveness, and public safety. 

As Congress starts debate on the next reauthorization of our surface transportation network, 

ASCE urges Congress to find a long-term, sustainable solution to fixing the HTF. Finding 

a long-term revenue solution will provide for a stronger, safer national network for the 21 '' 

century. 

Surface Transportation Infrastructure Systems 

The nation has 6!4,387 bridges, almost four in ten of which are 50 years or older. In 2016, 

56,007- 9.1%- of the nation's bridges were structurally deficient, meaning that they 

require significant maintenance, rehabilitation. or replacement. In that same year, on 

average there were !88 million trips across a structurally deficient bridge each day. While 

the number of bridges that are in such poor condition and considered structurally deficient 

is increasing, the average age of America's bridges keeps increasing and many of the 

nation's bridges are approaching the end of their design life. The most recent estimate puts 

the nation's backlog of bridge rehabilitation needs at $123 billion. 

With over four million miles of roads across the US- 15 lane interstates to residential 

streets-roads are among the most visible and familiar forms of infrastructure. In 2016. 

U.S. roads carried people and goods over 3.2 trillion miles- or more than 300 round trips 

between Earth and Pluto. After a slight dip during the 2008 recession. Americans are 

driving more, and vehicles miles traveled hit a record high in 2016. 

Despite the high usc and demand. the nation's roads are often crowded, frequently in poor 

condition, chronically underfunded, and are becoming more dangerous. More than two out 

of every five miles of the nation's urban interstates are congested, and traffic delays cost 

the country $!60 billion in wasted time and fuel in 2014. One out of every five miles of 

highway pavement is in poor condition and our roads have a significant and increasing 

backlog of rehabilitation needs. After years of decline, driving on unsafe roads has led to 
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37,133 people dying in 2017 on our nation's roads. 

Solutions 

Our nation's elected leaders need to act quickly to address the widening investment gap 

for surface transportation infrastructure systems. The federal government has historically 

been the leader in strengthening our surface transportation network. Because of this 

federal leadership role, we urge Congress to: 

Fix the HTF by adding 25 cents to the federal motor fuels tax. The current user fee 

must be raised and tied to inflation to restore its purchasing power. This idea has 

been led by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and would provide a much-needed 

infusion of $394 billion over ten years and combat the $1.1 trillion investment gap 

of surface transportation capital needs. 

Looking to the future, Congress should establish a broad pilot program to better 

understand how a Mileage-Based User Fee (MBUF) could be implemented. 

Include a tax on electric vehicles that would account for their presence on our 

nation's roads. 

Authorize surface transportation programs to improve our system. Congress must 

support that commitment by focusing on expanding infrastructure investment; 

maximizing effectiveness; building for the future; and enhancing project delivery. 

This includes fully implementing the meaningful reforms included in the FAST Act 

in order to streamline project development. 

Adopt key recommendations from the recently released congressionally mandated 

report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Engineering, 

Committee for a Study of the Future Interstate Highway System. and the 

Transportation Research Board (TRB) entitled, '·Renewing the National 

Commitment to the Interstate Highway System: A Foundation for the Future." 

Specifically, Congress should work to adopt a comprehensive interstate renewal 

and modernization program, identify and make repairs based on life-cycle cost 

principals, and consider resilience in long-term planning. 

Ultimately, J\SCE asserts that our nation must pnont1ze the investment needs of our 

surface transportation infrastructure system which is critical to our nation's public safety, 

national security, and economic competitiveness. Fixing the HTF as well as other strategic, 

robust, and sustained investments, must be made quickly if we hope to close the growing 

funding gap and restore America's world-class infrastructure. ASCE thanks you for 

holding this hearing and looks forward to working with the Committee to find solutions to 

fixing our nation's surface transportation infrastructure system. 
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November 28, 2018 

The Honorable John Barrasso 

Chairman 

Committee on Environment and Public Works 

United States Senate 

Washington, DC 20510 

Dear Chairman Barrasso and Ranking Member Carper: 

ITS ~ Nv\ERIC!\ 

The Honorable Tom Carper 

Ranking Member 

Committee on Environment and Public Works 

United States Senate 

Washington, DC 20510 

In anticipation of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works upcoming hearing on 

''Addressing America's Surface Transportation Infrastructure Needs," the Intelligent Transportation 

Society of America ("ITS Amcrica"}--the nation's leading association of cities. states, Metropolitan 

Planning Organizations. established and emerging private sector companies in the automotive and 

technology industries, and academic institutions focused on a better future transformed by intelligent 

mobility that is safer, greener, and smarter---offers the Committee on Environment and Public Works a 

preview of!TS America's "Intelligent Transpot1ation Technologies Best Practice Report: A Better Future 

Transformed by Intelligent Mobility'' that the association is preparing for the reauthorization of the FAST 

Act. 

Today's hearing takes place at an important time. Just as infrastructure was critical to the development of 

our economy in the 20th century. maintenance of existing infrastructure and deployment of smart 

infrastructure will be critical for our global competitiveness in this century. Advances in robotics, 

artificial intelligence, and wireless communications have inspired a race to make the next generation of 

mobility a reality. We are on the cusp of that future transformed by intelligent transportation technologies. 

The modern world literally turns on the boundary of where the tire rubber meets the paved road. For over 

a century. this was the most important interface between the car and the infrastructure. For automakers, 

the objective was always to design vehicles that were "road friendly" to the greatest extent practical. 

However, with new information and wireless technologies, there is a new interface-- a digital interface 

between the car and driver and the road infrastructure. This has presented an opportunity for 

infrastructure operators to improve safety, manage traffic. and introduce new models and modes of 

transportation in ways that were previously unknown. By applying intelligent transportation technologies 

to our existing infrastructure, we can maximize the efficiency of our system and make it more sustainable, 

accessible, and equitable. 

New transportation technologies are game changers. We now have the technical capability to connect 

vehicles to other vehicles, to the infrastructure, and to pedestrians--collectively referred to as Vehicle-toEverything (V2X) communications or Connected Vehicle-via the 5.9 GHz spectrum band. Advanced 

traffic management infrastructure, Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V21) communications, and Vehicle-toPedestrian (V2P) communications can reduce crashes. smooth traffic flow. reduce pollution. and most 

importantly, save lives. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that safety 

applications enabled by V2V and V21 could eliminate or mitigate the severity of up to 80 percent of nonimpaired crashes. including crashes at intersections or while changing lanes. More than 30 states and 45 

cities are deploying V2l communications that use the Dedicated Short-Range Communications safety 

spectrum band to enhance safety, reduce crashes, and decrease fatalities. V21 deployments include 

expansions of the Safety Pilot Model Deployment in Ann Arbor (Ml), large Pilot Deployments in New 

York City (NY), Tampa (FL), and Wyoming, and the Smart City Challenge in Columbus (Oil). 

In addition to other technologies, electric vehicle infrastructure will be key to the deployment of the next 

generation of mobility. An increasing number of vehicle manufacturers arc committing to deploy electric 
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vehicles. ITS America believes that electric vehicles represent one of the best ways to reduce carbon 

dioxide pollution and our nation's dependence on oil from volatile and unpredictable regions of the world. 

Before I provide a preview of ITS America's intelligent transportation technology best practices report. I 

would be remiss if I did not strongly urge Congress and the Administration to identifY long-term and 

sustainable funding for the! !ighway Trust Fund to ensure the FAST Act is reauthorized before the law 

expires in 2020. Maintaining our infrastructure is vital. Funding for ongoing intelligent transportation 

research also is important. This kind of research requires funding. 

Changes are happening today that will fundamentally affect how people interact with transportation in the 

months and years ahead. The nation is entering a technology revolution that will define the way people. 

goods, and services move for decades to come. It is a new transportation era as dramatic as the period 

where the car supplanted the horse and buggy. 

The nation must deploy intelligent transportation technologies on a large scale to remain competitive in 

an increasingly global economy. ITS America believes the reauthorization of the FAST Act is the vehicle 

to increase the nation's investment in the transportation technologies that will shape mobility. This 

investment can positively affect both the safety and operations of our transportation infrastructure system. 

ITS America thanks the Committee on Environment and Public Works for its leadership on the FAST 

Act. which made technology investments eligible across highway programs. We stand ready to work with 

the Committee on the reauthorization of the FAST Act that builds on those investments. We ask that this 

letter and preview of!TS America's intelligent transportation best practice report be entered into the 

hearing record. 

Sincerely, 

Shailen Bhatt 

President and CEO 

Intelligent Transportation Society of America 

Cc: U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works 

Ron Thanicl, Vice President of Legislative Affairs, ITS America, rthaniel@itsa.org 
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A Better Future Transformed by Intelligent Transportation Technologies: 

Best Practices 

ITS America is pleased to provide the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works with a 

preview ofiTS America's "Intelligent Transportation Technologies Best Practice Report: A Better Future 

Transformed by Intelligent Mobility" that the association is preparing for the reauthorization of the FAST 

Act. 

This report will provide best practices on current intelligent transportation technology deployment in the 

United States including: project sponsor; location; description of technology and why technology was 

selected; transportation safety, mobility or infrastructure challenge the project is addressing; project cost 

information, including federal match, state and local match, and private funding; how the project 

contributes to the overall state of good repair of the system; how the project helps freight and goods 

movement; how the project improves the environment; how the project will support the deployment of 

connected and automated vehicle technologies and smart infrastructure; how the project supports larger 

smart communities objectives; tbc project's economic benefits; and level of support from federaL state, 

and local elected officials. 

The report will provide a detailed body of data on intelligent transportation technology deployment. We 

will use the data to inform Congress and the Administration on the need to prioritize intelligent 

transportation technologies in the reauthorization of the FAST Act. We will also use the best practices to 

inform the owners and operators of most of nation's transportation infrastructure-state, city, and county 

elected officials and policymakers. 

Best practices focus on deployment of congestion-reduction technologies available today such as current 

generation active traffic management, managed lanes, incident response management and smart signal 

operations. Current travel demand management strategies include systems that provide availability and 

pricing of capacity on roads. highways, parking, and curb space. 

The current generation of intelligent transpottation systems don't simply report congestion to 

infrastructure operators or road users, but also actively manage transportation assets (e.g., 

highway/intersection/bridge lanes, ramps, parking stalls, etc.) to leverage their maximum capacity, 

capabilities, and lifespan for all. The next generation systems will tightly integrate data from automated 

and connected vehicles, which further improve the productivity of our transportation infrastructure by 

orders of magnitude over current systems. 

ITS America will be compiling intelligent transportation best practices through January 2019. We look 

forward to an opportunity to share with this Committee our complete report on intelligent transportation 

technologies best practices. 

Summary of Intelligent Transportation Technology Best Practices 

Arizona Department of Transportation Interstate 10 Dust Detection and Warning System 

The Arizona Department of Transportation is in the process of creating a first-of-its-kind dust detection 

and warning zone on a busy rural stretch of Interstate I 0 between Phoenix and Tucson that has frequently 
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seen hazardous blowing dust. The dust storm early warning system uses both spot detection technology 

and remote sensing technology to measure both the visibility along the roadway and to detect the 

development of dust events at a distance from the highway to allow for advance warning time. The 

visibility alerting capability will be integrated with automated response using Variable Speed Limit 

(VSL), Dynamic Message Sign (DMS). and in-pavement detection (speed loops) to warn travelers of 

actual or potential dust events prior to encountering them within the corridor. and closed-circuit cameras 

will be installed that allow staff at A DOT's Traffic Operations Center in Phoenix to see the real-time 

conditions on the roadway. This entire system will be connected via fiber optic cable, which results in 

faster information dissemination for motorists and for ADOT when blowing dust develops suddenly in 

this 10-mile stretch. 

California Department of Transportation Interstate 80 Safety, Mobility, and Automated 

Real-time Traffic (SMART) Corridor 

The Interstate 80 Safety. Mobility. and Automated Real-time Traffic (SMART) Corridor project 

combines traditional traffic operations management strategies and technologies, with new approaches, 

such as active traffic management and the use of overhead lane control signs to alert travelers and 

harmonize traffic speeds to conditions. These measures are being combined with adaptive ramp metering. 

the use of arterials, and information display boards to give travelers the infonnation needed to make wise 

travel route and mode choices. The integrated corridor management approach relies on interconnecting 

Transportation Management Centers (TMCs) operated by local jurisdictions with Caltrans· regional 

TMC, video monitoring. and playbooks for planned events and incidents. 

Colorado Department of Transportation SMART 25 Managed Motorways Pilot 

Demonstration 

The managed motorways concept first developed and implemented by the Victoria State Department of 

Transportation (VicRoads) in Melbourne, Australia. is a complex coordinated ramp metering and freeway 

management system which adjusts to real-time trat1ic conditions to prevent the breakdown of corridor 

traffic-flow. The complexity ofthe system requires a robust deployment of traffic detection on ramps and 

the freeway mainline to fully understand and control for real-time congestion conditions. 

Colorado Department of Transportation RoadX's Smart Pavement Project 

Road X Smart Pavement is a precast concrete panel embedded with digital technology and fiber optic 

connectivity that acts like a laptop tracking pad. 

Colorado Department of Transportation RoadX's Smart Cone Pins Project 

RoadX in partnership with iCone developed a low cost ($600/unit to buy) GPS pin that fits into a standard 

roadway cone. When that "smart cone pin'' is activated. it sends its true location and status to a cloud 

environment that anyone one can ingest and display on a map. 

Florida Department of Transportation Truck Parking Availability System (TPAS) 

Truck parking shortages are a national safety concern. The current deployment ofTPAS is 68 public sites 

located throughout Florida's state highway system along Interstate I 0 (SR 8), Interstate 75 (SR 93), 

Interstate 95 (SR 9), and Interstate 4 (SR 400). TPAS uses a combination of in-pavement space 

occupancy detection for the location with mixed vehicle type usage (welcome centers and rest areas) and 

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microwave vehicle detection for monitoring of ingress/egress at the weigh stations. The data are 

aggregated at the District Regional Transportation Management Center (RTMC) and disseminated to the 

commercial vehicle operators through dynamic roadside signs as well as through Florida's 511 system 

and third-party data feeds. 

Georgia Department of Transportation Statewide Traffic Signal Software Upgrades 

By deploying an advanced and open traffic signal control platform, Georgia Department of Transportation 

(GDOT) seamlessly manages arterial operations with local agency partners across jurisdictional 

boundaries. With an additional suite of operational tools, as well as real-time monitoring using highresolution data and automated traffic signal performance measures. GDOT leverages technology to 

extend engineering and maintenance resources across the entire state. Targeting issues proactively and 

responding to maintenance issues before they impact the traveling public improves the mobility of all 

users on the arterial network. 

Maryland Department of Transportation: Coordinated Highways Action Response Team 

(CHART} Development 

The CHART Advanced Traffic Management System (A TMS) is a set of software programs running on a 

combination of Windows 2008 Servers, connected to a statewide network of Closed Circuit Television 

(CCTV) cameras, overhead and portable Dynamic Message Signs (DMSs), Highway Advisory Radios 

(HARs), Traffic Sensor Systems (TSSs) (microwave traffic flow detectors). remote weather stations, and 

On/Off devices (electronic relay devices such as for horns and fog beacons). It is used to identify and 

track traffic flow disruptions, send responders to correct the disruption and notify the public using the 

DMS and HAR devices, as well as sending notifications to the media and feeding data to a live traffic 

web site (http://www.tratlic.maryland.gov) and Maryland 511. 

Maryland Department of Transportation: Freeway Traffic and Safety Patrol/Response 

(FTSP) Vehicle Acquisition 

The FTSP vehicles include both heavy duty and light duty vehicles. To perform incident management and 

emergency response functions efficiently, these FTSP vehicles are equipped with state-of~the-art 

technologies such as Automated Vehicle Location (A VL), Permanently mounted Closed Circuit 

Television (CCTV) cameras, two-way radio communications and Capital Wireless Information Net 

(Cap WIN) capabilities. 

Michigan Department of Transportation: US-23 Flex Route 

Completed in 2017, the US-23 Flex Route is nine miles in length from M- 14 to M-36 north of Ann Arbor. 

The project included construction of road, bridge and interchange operational improvements and Active 

Traffic Management (ATM) strategies for the US-23 corridor to address daily recurring and non-recurring 

traffic. incident management and overall motorist safety. Using the Flex Route's lane control gantry 

system, MDOT can now dynamically manage recurrent and non-recurrent congestion through technology 

and operational A TM strategies including dynamic lane control and shoulder use, variable speed 

advisories and queue warning. 

Metropolitan Transportation Commission of the San Francisco Bay Area: Bay Bridge 

Forward 
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Bay Bridge Forward is a suite of projects that moves more people in fewer vehicles to make the most 

efficient use of the bridge's capacity. It includes implementation of near-term, cost-effective operational 

improvements that offer travel time savings, reliability and increased capacity for carpooling and 

bus/ferry transit. These improvements will not only increase person throughput and improve access to 

jobs in San Francisco but also reduce congestion, incidents, and emissions in the bridge corridor. 

Pennsylvania Department of Transportation: Interstate 76 Integrated Corridor 

Management 

The project is located along the l-76 corridor in Montgomery and Philadelphia Counties. The mainline 

component of the program consists of junction control and flex lanes using a collection ofiTS 

technologies such as dynamic lane assignment, variable speed limits and queue warning, also known as 

Active Traffic Management (A TM). Traffic signal equipment on arterial roadways will be upgraded and 

standardized, and control and maintenance responsibilities for these corridor signal systems will transfer 

from the municipalities to PennDOT. Both the mainline and arterial roadways will be outfitted with 

communications equipment that will allow for the bi-directional flow ofinfonnation between roadway 

infrastructure. automobiles, transit vehicles. pedestrians, and bikers. These deployments will support the 

Commonwealth's commitment to furthering vehicle-to-infrastructure connected vehicle initiatives. 

Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada: Waycare 

Located in southern Nevada, Waycare helps improve safety and efficiency on freeways, including key 

freight corridors and major arterials by compiling and analyzing data to report in real-time the location of 

accidents and predict where dangerous driving conditions or congestion may occur. This technology 

enables faster validation and response to roadway incidents as well as a more efficient use of resources to 

proactively deploy traffic patrols and abatement efforts with the goal of preventing incidents. 

Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada: INRIX 

INRIX's state-of-the-art platfonn allows cities and road authorities to digitize their traffic rules and 

restrictions, such as speed limits, crosswalks. turn restrictions and bikes lanes, so they can communicate 

with highly automated vehicles (HA Vs ), allowing them to operate safely and effectively. 

Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada: Audi 

Audi debuted the first-of-its-kind "Time to Green" feature that provides the driver with a countdown to 

when a red light will turn green. The Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada's (RTC) 

advanced traffic management system provides specially-equipped Audi vehicles real-time traffic signal 

information through countdown in the instrument panel. The "Time to Green" feature helps reduce stress 

and keep drivers more informed when approaching intersections. Thanks to data provided from the 

connected vehicle, traffic signal timing sequences can be adjusted to keep traffic flowing and reduce 

idling time and congestion that leads to increased emissions and air pollution. 

Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada: AAA and Keolis 

The Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC). along with the city of Las Vegas. 

provides traffic signal data to a self-driving shuttle sponsored by AAA and Keolis that operates in mixed 

traffic along a half mile loop in downtown Las Vegas. The shuttle is the country's first autonomous bus to 

be fully integrated with "smart city" infrastructure. The shuttle is fully electric and does not produce 

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emissions that lead to air pollution. Lessons learned from a fully autonomous deployment in a complex 

urban setting will inform other use cases and lead to environmental benefits. 

Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada: Nexar 

Nexar is an app that uses smartphone dash cams and wireless technology to provide drivers real-time 

alerts to prevent vehicle, cyclist and pedestrian collisions. The app records video outside of a vehicle and 

measures vehicle dynamics related to speed, braking and turns. Warnings from adjacent vehicles are 

communicated to drivers via the app, such as the need to brake for a hazard. The Nexar network is well 

established in New York City and San Francisco, where it reported a 24 percent reduction in collisions 

since its inception. 

Tennessee Department of Transportation: 1-24 SMART Corridor 

Tennessee Department of Transportation is implementing an Integrated Corridor Management (ICM) 

system that will seamlessly manage the corridor as a multimodal system through institutional 

collaboration and integration of infrastructure. This ICM system will implement ramp metering, 

multijurisdictional traffic signal coordination, electronic signs for traveler information, incentivized 

removal of disabled vehicles, transit service enhancements, incident management strategies. 

Utah Department of Transportation: Multiple Intelligent Transportation Technology 

Projects 

The signal interconnected projects improved signal coordination through signal controller time clock 

syncing. Variable message sign project improved communication of road conditions and safety messaging 

to traveling public. The fiber optic communications projects improved communications with ITS devices 

(CCTV, VMS, Traffic Signals, RWIS, etc.) and improved communications/emergency services to remote 

areas. 

Washington State Department of Transportation: US 395/ Hawthorne Road 

Channelization & Signal Modification 

This project revised the lane configuration and upgraded the existing signal system at Hawthorne Road 

and US 395 in Spokane, Washington. US 395 (Division Street) is a major at-grade arterial route 

in/through Spokane and a major freight route. Channelization revisions created exclusive left turn lanes 

on Hawthorne going east and west. a combined through lane and right turn lane for eastbound traffic, and 

exclusive through lanes and right turn lanes for west bound traffic. These changes allowed the signal to 

run in a standard eight-phase operation under new signal controllers capable of expansion to automated 

vehicle technologies and increased operational efficiency of the intersection. The total reduction in 

vehicle delay is 22.637 minutes/day. 

Washington State Department of Transportation: Centralized Signal System-Joint 

ATMA throughout Clark County 

Clark County, Washington, is part of the Portland, Oregon metropolitan service area. As the second 

densest county in Washington, smart solutions are necessary to extend the service life of existing 

infrastructure to sustain the region's rapid growth. Clark County negotiated with their vendor to transform 

their local centralized traffic signal system into a regionally shared Advanced Traffic Management 

System (A TMS). This upgrade by Clark County enabled the remaining local jurisdictions to share traffic 

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data, and remotely operate traffic signals. within each other's systems. As part of the agreement, 

WSDOT-owned-and-operated signals from the seven-county region of Southwest Washington may utilize 

the regional signal system. These automated processes will maximize utilization of existing 

infrastructure, reduce delays and emissions, and increase mobility. 

Wyoming Department of Transportation: Mobile App Enhancements 

WYDOT developed a mobile application for smartphones to share pre-trip and en route traveler 

information. This application had three major components: 

A map for pre-trip planning that provides information including road conditions, traffic incidents, 

weather sensor data, web camera images. road construction notifications, and truck parking 

locations. 

A hands free/eyes free feature that speaks road condition, traffic incident, and road construction 

information as drivers travel down the road, alerting them in advance to adverse conditions ahead. 

A "Where am I?" feature that correlates the user's GPS location to the nearest route and mile 

marker. This can be used in an emergency when a driver needs to be able to sbare his or her 

location. The location can easily be sent via text or email. 

Wyoming Department of Transportation: Revised Commercial Vehicle Operator Portal 

The Commercial Vehicle Operator Portal (CYOP) is a web-based system focused on providing a one-stop 

shop for current road conditions and road weather forecast information on the most commonly traveled 

commercial routes in the state. This information is shared with the trucking 

community and was designed based on feedback provided directly from fleet managers. 

Econolite: Lakeview Avenue Overcrossing Orange County Transportation Authority 

On June 6, 2017, the Lakeview Ave. overcrossing in Orange County, California. officially opened to 

drivers. The overcrossing now routes vehicular traffic over Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) railroad 

line uninterrupted. Nearly 70 individual trains use the BNSF tracks daily. regularly blocking the way of 

drivers travelling north or south along the busy corridor. As part of the project, several intersections along 

Lakeview Ave. were upgraded with new NEMA traffic control cabinets and 2070 controllers. This 

provides the traffic management technology that enables programming of signals to help optimize traffic 

flow through the corridor. In addition, emergency vehicles and first responders. including ambulances, 

fire. and police are now able to respond more quickly and cross the rail line without interruption. which is 

critical for life-saving calls. 

Southwest Research Institute: ActiveiTS 

Active ITS is a proven and stable system, capable of obtaining 99.99%+ uptime. and can run in clustered 

virtualized and cloud-hosted configurations. Key features of the Active ITS system include automated 

event management response plans for dynamic message sign (DMS) postings, email notification, traveler 

information alerts. highway advisory radio (HAR) messages; archiving and reporting to enable 

performance-based oversight of event management operations; interconnected operations for information 

sharing and control between traffic management centers; and management of field devices. events, and 

other functions by an operator in a single integrated browser/map-based/application-based interface in a 

Windows environment. 

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Texas A&M Transportation Institute and Virginia Tech Transportation Institute: 

Implications of Truck Platoons for Roadside and Vehicle Safety Hardware 

Researchers and students at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTl) are examining how roadside 

safety devices, such as guard rail and median barriers, will react to an impact from a truck platoon. 

Researchers and students at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) are examining how crashes 

such as these would affect the occupants of the vehicle. The research will inform policy on truck platoon 

operating rules and roadside safety device standards. 

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Intelligent Transpotiation Society of America 

Innovation in Surface Transportation Best Practice 

Arizona Department of Transportation 

FASTLANE Grant: Interstate 10 Dust Detection and Warning System 

Funded in part by a 2016 F ASTLA NE grant, the Arizona Department of Transportation is in the 

process of creating a first-of-its-kind dust detection and warning zone on a busy rural stretch of 

Interstate I 0 between Phoenix and Tucson that has frequently seen hazardous blowing dust. The 

system, being installed now along I 0 miles of 1-10 along with a widening project in that area, is 

expected to be complete in fall 2019. The project is located on Interstate I 0 between mileposts 

209 and 219. This area, between Eloy and Picacho Peak, is about 40 miles northwest of Tucson 

and 50 miles southeast of Phoenix. I-l 0 between Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona's two largest 

metropolitan areas, is the busiest stretch of rural interstate in Arizona. 

The dust storm early warning system uses both spot detection technology and remote sensing 

technology to measure both the visibility along the roadway and to detect the development of 

dust events at a distance from the highway to allow for advance warning time. The visibility 

alerting capability will be integrated with automated response using Variable Speed Limit 

(VSL), Dynamic Message Sign (OMS), and in-pavement detection (speed loops) to warn 

travelers of actual or potential dust events prior to encountering them within the corridor, and 

closed-circuit cameras will be installed that allow staff at A DOT's Traffic Operations Center in 

Phoenix to see the real-time conditions on the roadway. This entire system will be connected via 

fiber optic cable, which results in faster information dissemination for motorists and for ADOT 

when blowing dust develops suddenly in this I 0-milc stretch. 

The challenge of sudden blowing dust, a problem across much of Arizona, is especially acute on 

busy Interstate I 0 between Phoenix and Tucson, which has significant freight traffic. In addition 

to injuries and fatalities, crashes caused by blowing dust can lead to extended closures of l-1 0 

that affect great numbers of drivers of private and commercial vehicles. In addition to providing 

earlier warnings about blowing dust in this especially troublesome area, this innovative system 

will advance ADOT's understanding of whether similar systems can be effective in other 

locations around Arizona. 

The dust detection project was imbedded in the cost ofthe larger 1-10, SR87 to Town of Picacho 

widening and realignment project. The portion of the project funding relative to the dust 

detection and warning system, per the terms of the F ASTLA NE Grant, is an 80/20 

(Federal/State) ratio and the total for the dust portion of the project is $4,755,246 federal and 

$1, 188,8!2 state matching funds. 

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1011 MOIIl!MORMAT!0"' 

ISS.7U.ISJO 

~seUdo\.P 

-- As of 2017, nearly 50,000 vehicles a day used this stretch of Interstate I 0. Many of these are 

commercial vehicles carrying goods from Arizona businesses to markets in California, Texas and 

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Mexico, and vice-versa. In addition to the human toll, crashes that result from blowing dust 

hinder movement of commercial vehicles. They also hinder personal travelers who contribute to 

Arizona's robust tourism industry. 

As Arizona Department of Transportation Director John Halikowski has noted, the efficient flow 

of commerce in Arizona drives our state's economic vitality. As part of this commitment, 

Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas have established the 1-10 Corridor Coalition to the 

support innovations that help create friction-free commercial travel. This project is aligned with 

that objective. 

This project helps to reduce crashes which leads to fewer closures and reduces the emissions that 

otherwise would have resulted from long queues on this busy and highly freight traveled stretch 

of road. Additionally, fewer deadly crashes means less disturbance to environment especially 

with freight and hazardous materials transported through the corridor. 

Collection of weather and visibility data and advanced detection of dust will play an important 

role in safety of connected and autonomous vehicles and supports the deployment of those 

technologies in this important stretch of the road. The segment of I I 0 that would receive the ITS 

enhancements is identified as the center of dust storms along the entire length of I I 0. The 

application of the technology as proposed could lead to a wealth of information to inform other 

regions in the United States on averting crashes that have significant societal costs in terms of 

loss of life, incapacitation and delay. 

Support for this project is spread throughout the corridor. During the development of the 

FASTLANE Grant application, numerous entities offered formal support for the project, 

including Arizona Governor Douglas A. Ducey; Arizona's Congressional members (Ann 

Kirkpatrick, David Schweikert, Martha MeSally, Matt Salmon, Paul Gosar, Krsyten Sinema, 

Ruben Gallego and Trent Franks); Pinal County; Pima County; Maricopa Association of 

Governments; Pima Association of Governments; Sun Corridor Metropolitan Planning 

Organization; the City of Tucson's Mayor and City Manager; City of Phoenix's Mayor; City of 

Casa Grande; City of Coolidge; City of Eloy; and the Arizona Trucking Association. 

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Intelligent Transportation Society of America 

Innovation in Surface Transportation Best Practice 

California Department of Transportation 

Interstate 80 Safety, Mobility, and Automated Real-time Traffic (SMART) 

Corridor 

The Interstate 80 Safety, Mobility, and Automated Real-time Traffic (SMART) Corridor is a 

partnership between Caltrans, the Alameda County Transportation Commission (ACTC) and the 

Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA), along with other local partner agencies and 

municipalities, which have taken a "SMART" approach to the 

management of one of the busiest corridors in the Bay Area. The 

project is located on a 20-mile segment oflnterstate 80 in 

Alameda and Contra Costa Counties, from the Carquinez Bridge 

to the San Francisco/Oakland Bay Bridge. The freeway serves 

commuters, recreational traveler and freight. 

This highly congested corridor is physically constrained by 

adjacent urban development and the San Francisco Bay. 

Additional freeway widening is not possible. The SMART 

corridor project combines traditional traffic operations 

management strategies and technologies, with new approaches, 

such as active traffic management and the use of overhead lane 

control signs to alert travelers and harmonize traffic speeds to 

conditions. These measures are being combined with adaptive 

ramp metering, the use of arterials, and information display boards to give travelers the 

information needed to make wise travel route and mode choices. The integrated corridor 

management approach relies on interconnecting Transportation Management Centers (TMCs) 

operated by local jurisdictions with Caltrans' regional TMC, video monitoring, and playbooks 

for planned events and incidents. 

The following technologies have been implemented as part of the project: 

• Adaptive Ramp Metering 

• Automated Incident Detection 

• Incident Response Plans 

• Variable Advisory Speed Signs 

• Lane Use Signs 

• Infonnation Display Boards 

• Trailblazer Signs 

• Coordinated Traffic Signal Operations 

• Arterial and Freeway Detection 

• Transit Signal Priority 

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Safer, more efficient and reliable traffic flow along Interstate 80 is essential to the current and 

future vitality of the San Francisco Bay Area. As many as 270,000 vehicles use Interstate 80 

every day and approximately 25 accidents 

occur on the route per week. On one portion 

of westbound Interstate 80, the accident rate is 

twice as high as the statewide average for 

similar highways. As a result, motorists 

experience as much as 25-35 minutes of delay 

during typical commute hours. Emergency 

vehicle access is impacted due to the 

congestion, resulting in slower incident 

response and recovery times. Some motorists 

may choose to exit onto San Pablo Avenue, a 

parallel local arterial, to avoid the traffic jam, 

but the traffic signals on San Pablo Avenue 

and other arterials are not currently equipped to handle the resulting increase in traffic. Gridlock 

occurs, impacting bus operations and traffic flow on these streets. Without knowledge of the 

accident location, diverted motorists stay on city streets, and traffic jams persist. Even if 

motorists don't detour, they don't know how long it will take them to reach their destination due 

to inconsistent and unreliable travel times. 

The I-80 Smart Corridor project was $79 million. The funding breakdown is as follows: 

Total Budget. $79 miUian 

STATE 

Prop 1 B·CMIA 

$46mHiion 

STATE 

Prop 18-TLSP 

$19 million 

CCTA' 

MeasureJ 

$5million 

Allmeda C1'C' 

CMATIP.MeaslnB. 

TFCA Lacal, PPM 

$.4million 

Fedenl 

CMAQ 

$3 million 

BAAQMD' 

TFCA Regional 

$1 million 

STATE 

STIP 

$1 million 

Early indications show the Interstate 80 Smart Corridor likely helped reduce the rate of growth in 

congestion and improved travel times on the freeway during certain periods of the day. Although 

some have speculated travel times would be decreased because of the project, it's unrealistic to 

expect such impact when freeway demand has gone up significantly in the past decade. Further 

after-studies will have more definitive conclusions and analysis. Interstate 80 is a major freight 

route from the ports of Oakland and San Francisco as well as the San Francisco Airport, to the 

western United States. Reducing travel times and increasing reliability reduces transportation 

costs to business. 

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This project will reduce the rate of growth of congestion. It will reduce emissions and the need to 

widen freeway. The project also coordinates traffic signals between the State highway and local 

streets, which will reduce idling, thereby reducing GHG emissions. Message signs comparing 

transit travel times and freeway travel times can promote transit, hopefully reducing congestion 

and single vehicle ridership. Transit signal priority helps buses move through the corridor more 

quickly, adding to their appeal and shifting demand. The SMART corridor infrastructure has the 

capability to detect incidents and notify external systems. 

This is the first effort to integrate freeway, arterial and transit operations and share data with 

cities and other partners. This project should be viewed as a building block to identify the many 

risk and challenges and future projects will take these lessons learned. There are many traffic 

flow and safety benefits to the project, including: enhanced safety and roadway operations 

throughout the corridor; travel-time savings and reliability by optimizing the use of existing 

lanes; congestion relief along the corridor during incidents; reduction of secondary accidents 

associated with congestion; improved emergency access and incident recovery time with less 

congested routes for emergency vehicles; and transit travel-time savings along San Pablo 

Avenue. 

Beyond the $10 million cost share from the local Commissions and Air Quality Management 

District, local agencies are working together for unified operations and maximize efficiency of 

the system. 

"By making I-80 smarter, we are making it work better for everyone- commuters, goods 

movement, transit, carpools, and local road users. The commitment of local voters who passed 

both the Alameda and Contra Costa County sales tax measures, as well as the state bonds in 

2006, is what made this critical work possible. We are proud to work together to bring these 

solutions to our communities to make sure people can reliably get where they need to go -to 

work, to education or to families."- Rebecca Kaplan, Oakland City Council member 

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Intelligent Transportation Society of America 

Innovation in Surface Transportation Best Practice 

Colorado Department of Transportation 

SMART 25 Managed Motorways Pilot Demonstration 

The SMART 25 Managed Motorways Pilot is 

located on 1- 1-25 northbound between Ridge 

Gate Parkway and University Boulevard, 

connecting Denver's central business district 

and the Southeast Denver business corridor. 

The managed motorways concept first 

developed and implemented by the Victoria 

State Department of Transportation 

(VicRoads) in Melbourne, Australia, is a 

complex coordinated ramp metering and 

freeway management system, which adjusts 

to real-time traffic conditions to prevent the 

breakdown of corridor traffic-flow. The 

complexity of the system requires a robust 

deployment of traffic detection on ramps and 

the freeway mainline to fully understand and 

control for real-time congestion conditions. 

On the M I Motorway in Melbourne, the 

managed motorways system was shown to 

increase traffic flow by 25%, improved 

average traffic speed between 3 5-60%, and 

improved overall travel time reliability 

between 150% (AM peak) and 500% (PM 

peak). 

The primary goal of the SMART 25 Project is 

to address recurring peak-period congestion 

and severe unreliability on this vitall-25 

corridor, by providing a more efficient, 

productive, and reliable freeway corridor 

~:~~~o~~~~~~'e!i~:~~f~:;~~d~n~~~~~:s~~~t II 

capacity. This approach will help to regain 

the productivity lost due to congestion. As 

shown in the graph below, once a bottleneck location breaks down, a max flow of 2, I 00 vphpl is 

reduced to I ,400 vphpl for the remainder of the period. SMART 25 will coordinate ramp signals 

to prevent this breakdown from happening in the first place. 

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Nll-25 ~Arapahoe Rd ·April 28, 201& 

Muflow~LtJIOvpltpl 

0 

~---~---~-------­ Time(AM) 

-l.antt flow -AV<Irqe Speed 

lil 

The total $11,310,923 project cost will be funded through state sources, and a $1 million FHW A 

AID grant. 

The deployment of advanced traffic detection on ramps and the freeway mainline will provide a 

real-time understanding of freeway conditions to aid in normal operations, incident management, 

and identify the location of bottlenecks for potential spot improvements. The elimination of 

freeway breakdown will improve throughput, travel time reliability, and average speed for all 

vehicles, including freight movement. By improving traffic flow and reducing recurring 

congestion and the associated start-stop conditions, vehicle emissions are also reduced. 

The advanced traffic detection devices deployed throughout the SMART 25 corridor will provide 

real-time traffic conditions at a level of accuracy currently unavailable anywhere in North 

America. Once in place, this high-quality real-time data will be available to inform connected 

and automated vehicle (CA V) applications. In addition to providing high-quality real-time data 

to CA V applications, the same data can also be utilized by numerous Smart City programs. 

The economic benefits of the SMART 25 project were calculated as part of a recent FHWA 

ATCMTD grant initiative. Through its predictive flow control of the freeway mainline, the 

managed motorways concept has been proven to add upwards of 500 vphpl in peak periods on 

the Ml in Melbourne. A similar benefit for SMART 25 would be equivalent of adding a new 

lane of travel without the expense, resulting in a 20-year Benefit I Cost Ratio of 7 .64. 

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SMART 25 is a priority project for COOT and a designated FHWA Project of Division Interest. 

COOT is confident that the SMART 25 will demonstrate that a limited technological investment 

can generate the same benefits as hundreds of millions of dollars in freeway lane expansions. 

The pilot deployment will alleviate congestion, enhance access, improve safety, and reduce 

emissions, thereby delivering massive economic benefits to the Denver Metropolitan Area. 

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Intelligent Transportation Society of America 

Innovation in Surface Transportation Best Practice 

Colorado Department of Transportation 

RoadX's Smart Pavement Project 

RoadX Smart Pavement is a precast concrete panel embedded with digital technology and fiber 

optic connectivity that acts like a laptop tracking pad. 

As proposed along US 285, a rural roadway with steep grades and reverse curves where a usually 

high number of incidents have occurred where vehicles depart the roadway and traverse down a 

steep embankment, the system has the capability to sense when vehicle leaves the roadway with 

automated notification to alert emergency responders to a possible incident. The emergency 

responders will be able address the incident immediately so that they do not go undetected for 

days. 

The total cost of the Smart Pavement project is estimated at $10M, with State and Federal funds 

providing a not to exceed amount of $2. 75M and private investment making up the remainder. 

The $2.75M is 80/20 federal/state funds. Another example of a RoadX P3 extending dollars in 

the advanced mobility space. 

This project will be able to monitor the pavement condition and communicate real-time 

maintenance needs when detected. This project will also be able to monitor the weather 

conditions at the site and provide real-time information to COOT. COOT maintenance staff can 

quickly address adverse weather conditions as they occur and enhance the safety for passenger 

and freight vehicles. This project will be constructed within the existing roadway envelope and 

will not negatively impact the rural characteristic of the area. 

An understanding, in real-time, about the location and status of connected vehicles is a very 

important data set that could benefit the connected vehicle ecosystem being constructed in 

Colorado. This section of roadway is prone to adverse and extreme weather conditions. The 

economic benefits of can be recognized by ensuring safe and available passage of the roadway 

for freight traffic servicing the rural communities. 

This project is a high priority for COOT and FHW A as this pavement will enhance the safely 

and reliability of the roadway through vehicle to infrastructure technology. 

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ITS~ Alv\ERICA 

Intelligent Transportation Society of America 

Innovation in Surface Transportation Best Practice 

Colorado Department of Transportation 

RoadX's Smart Cone Pins Project 

RoadX in partnership with iCone developed a low cost ($600/unit to 

buy) GPS pin that fits into a standard roadway cone. When that 

"smart cone pin" is activated, it sends its true location and status to a 

cloud environment that anyone one can ingest and display on a map. 

Work zones are a large frustration for the traveling public and a very 

dangerous location for workers and commuters. The location and 

status of work zones is often unknow. This is a problem today but 

will be a bigger problem when highly automated vehicles are 

involved, given the variability of work zones. "Smart Cone Pins" can 

be added to a work zone for under $1,000 per lane closure to provide 

real-time location and status of work zones. This information can be 

used today by navigation apps but more so is preparing us for the 

future when vehicle will be needing to ingest information for the 

infrastructure to make better decision on how they travel improving 

travel times and reducing delays. The cone pins are $600/unit with 

first I 00 units being deployed with 80/20 federal/state funds. 

By the project contributes to overall state of good repair of the system 

by improving the understanding of the location and status of work 

zones, which can help expedite construction and improve the system. 

The project helps freight and goods movement by reducing delays at construction zones, thereby 

improving freight movement. By reducing back-ups and congestion air quality can be improved. 

Connected and ultimately automated vehicles desperately need the 

information smart cone pins can provide. Today, as the human 

drives, connected vehicles could share work zone activates with 

their network of other connected vehicles helping to distribute 

traffic around work zones. In the future, as automated vehicles 

operate on behalf of a human, they will look to avoid work zones at 

all costs given the complex nature of work zones (ever changing 

lane markings, humans giving hand signals, sudden speed changes, 

narrow lanes ... ). The real-time information smart cone pins will 

provide will allow automated vehicles to understand, via their 

connected aspect, where to avoid so they can operate as designed. 

An understanding, in real-time, about the location and status of 

work zones is a very important data set that could benefit smart communities extensively. 

Smart work zone is a high priority for the ITS JOP office within the FHW A. The standardization 

of data, about work zone, is currently underway - these smart cone pins can become the basis for 

this standardization. 

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Intelligent Transportation Society of America 

Innovation in Surface Transportation Best Practice 

Florida Department of Transportation 

Truck Parking Availability System (TPAS) 

Truck parking shortages are a national safety concern. The results of insufficient or underutilized 

truck parking spaces can have negative social and economic impacts. Due to the lack of truck 

parking availability information and lack of safe and convenient truck parking spaces, tired 

commercial vehicle operators may continue to drive while searching for a place to park and rest, 

resulting in fatigue-associated crashes. Additionally, truck drivers may park at unsafe locations 

such as on the shoulders of roads or ramps or in vacant lots, causing safety related issues. 

Mobility is also impacted as the drivers utilize available time searching for parking instead of 

moving freight. 

The current deployment ofTPAS is 68 public sites located throughout Florida's state highway 

system along Interstate I 0 (SR 8), Interstate 75 (SR 93), Interstate 95 (SR 9), and Interstate 4 

(SR 400). The public sites include Welcome Centers, Rest Areas, and Weigh Stations where 

commercial vehicle parking is provided. TPAS uses a combination of in-pavement space 

occupancy detection for the location with mixed vehicle type usage (welcome centers and rest 

areas) and microwave vehicle detection for monitoring of ingress/egress at the weigh stations. 

The data are aggregated at the District Regional Transportation Management Center (RTMC) 

and disseminated to the commercial vehicle operators through dynamic roadside signs as well as 

through Florida's 511 system and third-party data feeds. 

Based on early research by Florida International University (BDK80 977-14 (2012)), the 

proposed technology was selected as in-pavement sensors for the mixed-use facilities (rest areas 

and welcome centers) for spot detection while side-fired radar (microwave vehicle detection 

system (MVDS)) would be used for ingress/egress monitoring of the weigh stations. As limited 

in-situ data were available to document the performance of the in-pavement sensors, research 

projects (BDV31 977-56 (20 16) and BDV31 977-85 (2018)) were conducted at the Columbia 

County, FOOT District 2 rest areas was used to validate the vendor data. Based on the research 

data, FOOT prepared a Developmental Specification governing the requirements of the detection 

sensors and associated hardware. 

Total project deployment cost was $24 million state contribution was 48% and federal 

contribution was 52%. There were no local or private funds for this project. 

The project will reduce truck parking in locations such as shoulders or other non-designated 

locations, resulting in reduced maintenance activities. Additionally, trucks can maintain routes 

along the interstate system, reducing impacts to the arterial network. Also, trucks parked on 

freeway shoulders or on the ramps are detrimental to the mobility and safety of the motoring 

public and can potentially lead to incidents. 

With the real-time truck parking availability information, truckers will be able to make informed 

decisions on truck parking during or prior to making trips that will save time and allow 

dispatchers to pre-plan the trips. Proper information dissemination on truck parking availability 

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will save an average of 30 minutes of driving time for most of truck drivers, i.e. less truck trips 

and more capacity available to the other motorists. Additionally, trucks searching for parking 

adds to congestion levels on the Interstate system. 

Florida residents will benefit from reduced emissions and a reduction in overall truck trips and 

crashes impacting fellow motorists' safety and mobility. The manufacturers and shippers in the 

region will benefit from the more efficient movement of cargo and drayage, which enhances the 

global competitiveness of the Florida economy. The port authorities will benefit from the 

efficient freight parking management in their last mile drayage movement. 

The project leverages the Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) infrastructure and deploys 

additional technology to provide real-time data for efficient decision making. Future upgrades, 

including the third-party data feeds, can provide for additional integration with connected and 

automated vehicle technologies. TPAS promotes advance route planning for freight movement 

and supports just in time goods delivery by helping truckers know about available parking as 

close to their destinations as possible. 

The economic benefit of the system is divided into three categories, in addition to the intangible 

benefits of safety and convenience for the truck drivers as well as enhancing freight operations 

and Interstate commerce. The economic benefits are described in the table below, based on the 

benefit cost ratio. 

Optr-ali<I--C<!$1 SliJ>&c465 

ToU!Cio;t $4S,W;$1S 

····us.· 

The project is fully supported by the Federal and State (FDOT) funds and is included as key 

areas of emphasis in multiple plans, including the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 2 I st 

Century Act (MAP-21), the National Strategic Freight Plan and Florida's Freight Mobility and 

Trade Plan and Motor Carrier System Plan. The project is also supported by other state agencies, 

including the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Finally, the project is 

supported by the Florida Trucking Association. 

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Intelligent Transportation Society of America 

Innovation in Surface Transportation Best Practice 

Georgia Department of Transportation 

Statewide Traffic Signal Software Upgrades 

The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) has long enjoyed the benefits of a common 

traffic signal control platform. An identification of operational limitations led the department to 

update this environment to a modem platform built on open standards and the Advanced Traffic 

Controller (A TC) specifications through the systems engineering process. The outcomes 

identified for this effort were for improved operations, tracking of performance metrics, and 

maintenance practices through expanded operations and automated monitoring using highresolution data. This project updated over 9,500 traffic signals across the state of Georgia to a 

modern platform. 

Through open procurement, GDOT selected Intelight MaxTime and Max View for its signal 

control software and central system, respectively. The platform and deployment included 

updating all of Georgia's 2070 traffic signal controllers with A TC Linux based processor boards. 

The technology was based on open standards that would enable GDOT to innovate well into the 

product's lifespan to best handle arterial management across jurisdictional boundaries. Other 

public agencies including Utah DOT, Minnesota DOT, Oregon DOT, and the city of Dallas, use 

this software. 

By deploying an advanced and open traffic signal control platform, GDOT seamlessly manages 

arterial operations with local agency partners across jurisdictional boundaries. With an additional 

suite of operational tools, 

as well as real-time 

monitoring using high 

resolution data and 

automated traffic signal 

performance measures, 

GDOT leverages 

technology to extend 

engineering and 

maintenance resources 

across the entire state. 

Targeting issues 

proactively and responding 

to maintenance issues 

Aggregated data 

analytics for increased 

route efficiency 

before they impact the traveling public improves the mobility of all users on the arterial network. 

Total project cost is $18,000,000 over 5 years- 80/20 Federal/State, the Federal share through 

FAST Act appropriations. 

The system informs users on where and when operational and maintenance intervention is 

needed for targeted response and better allocation of resources. Automated alerts of system 

health provide GDOT and local agencies the opportunity to identify operational and maintenance 

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issues as quickly as possible and the ability to intervene as needed. The prioritized and proactive 

approach to arterial management provides the optimum approach to maintenance and operations. 

Data analytics provide additional intelligence for data driven decisions. The regional signal 

control architecture that this project provided was essential in managing traffic in the I-85 bridge 

collapse and reconstruction in 2017. The technology was paramount in providing unified control 

of detour routes and arterial management during reconstruction of a critical viaduct that carried 

250,000 vehicles every day. 

The system is deployed across the state at all 9,500 traffic signals. This broad deployment allows 

for innovative applications to accommodate freight through traffic responsive or adaptive 

approaches to arterial operations. The system has the flexibility to adjust operations and 

accommodate heavy freight movement as needed, while improving operations on arterials across 

the state. Improved mobility through enhanced arterial operations across jurisdictional 

boundaries reduces stops, travel times, and improves traffic flow. This in tum reduces vehicle 

emissions. 

Because GDOT is deploying a common system on an advanced Linux based architecture, it can 

establish an ecosystem for the state that provides for broad 

deployment of connected vehicle technologies that support both 

autonomous and non-autonomous vehicles. GDOT has deployed 54 

dedicated short-range communications (DSRC) devices already with 

this approach. Due to the scalable nature of the system, GDOT is in a 

position for a broad deployment of connected devices across the 

entire state. GDOT intends deploy more than 1700 DSRC radios over 

the next two years to deliver vehicle to infrastructure-based 

applications, all built on this common signal control network. 

Additionally, GDOT is leveraging this technology to provide an open data platform that supports 

third party applications by providing all connected vehicle data to users. This will ensure that 

GDOT supports not only low-latency DSRC V2i applications, but also the wide range of 

Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) applications that will come in the future. 

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Intelligent Transportation Society of America 

Innovation in Surface Transportation Best Practice 

Maryland Department of Transportation 

Coordinated Highways Action Response Team (CHART) Systems Development 

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) provides funding support for the development 

and maintenance of the CHART Systems project. The funding support is provided under the 

Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act's Surface Transportation Block Grant 

(STBG) Program- Z240. The total approved funds for the five years beginning in fiscal year 

2017 (FY 17) and ending in fiscal year 2021 (FY 21) is $29.2 million, out of which $13. 04 

million was activated for the three years beginning in fiscal year 2017 (FY 17) and ending in 

fiscal year 2019 (FY 19). This funding is provided by the FHW A at 80% with 20% Maryland 

State matching funds. 

The three main components of the CHART Systems Development are: 

a) CHART Advanced Traffic Management System (ATMS), 

b) Emergency Operations Reporting System (EORS); and 

c) Lane Closure Permitting (LCP). 

The goal of the CHART Systems Development 

is to fulfill the business process requirements 

defined in the Maryland Department of 

Transportation State Highway Administration's 

CHART Business Area Architecture (BAA). 

The CHART Advanced Traffic Management 

System (A TMS) is a set of software programs 

running on a combination of Windows 2008 

Servers, connected to a statewide network of Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras, 

overhead and portable Dynamic Message Signs (DMSs), Highway Advisory Radios (HARs), 

Traffic Sensor Systems (TSSs) (microwave traffic flow detectors), remote weather stations, and 

On/Off devices (electronic relay devices such as for horns and fog beacons). It is used to identify 

and track traffic flow disruptions, send responders to correct the disruption and notify the public 

using the DMS and HAR devices, as well as sending notifications to the media and feeding data 

to a live traffic web site (http://www.traffic.maryland.gov) and Maryland 511. 

The Emergency Operations Reporting System (EORS) application includes: 

• Storm Event Reporting Provides the ability to manage and report on the utilization of 

personnel, equipment, materials and conditions for an event. 

• Snow Emergency Plans- Provides the method by which snow emergencies are managed 

for MD counties. 

• Event Mapping- Provides the ability to specify conditions of predefined roadway 

segments. 

• Route Restrictions- Provides the ability to manage vehicle restriction information. 

• Post Storm Review & Archive Provides the ability for a shop to add information about 

a previous storm event. 

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• Situational Awareness Reporting (SARS)/ Archive- Provides the ability to add event 

data at the district, EOC, CHART and PIO level. Also provides the ability to generate a 

summary report of the data entered. 

• The Lane Closure Permitting (LCP) application includes: 

o Permit Mapping- Provides the ability to map the geolocation of a lane closure 

permit. This functionality is provided by the LCP through integration with 

external web services and a User Interface (Ul) provided by the CHART Mapping 

application. 

o LCP Data Exporter services- Provides an interface for external applications to 

get LCP permit data. There are two basic interfaces: CHART Mapping and 

Public. The Public service resides in the demilitarized zone (DMZ) outside of the 

MOOT network. The Public interface contains a subset of the data available 

internally, although the data is much the same. 

The current CHART System connects 909 CCTV cameras, 375 DMS, 68 HARs, 104 Weather 

Stations, 45 Warning Flashers, and 394 speed sensors to over 80 control centers statewide. This 

project will continue to better automate incident response, as well as build the CHART A TMS 

out to additional first responders and transportation agencies from across Maryland, Virginia, the 

District of Columbia, as well as Federal agencies in the National Capitol Region and beyond. 

The following pictures are Statewide Operations Center (SOC) video wall, screen shots from the 

~rumrlc'ina equipment (servers, decoders, etc.). 

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Intelligent Transportation Society of America 

Innovation in Surface Transportation Best Practice 

Maryland Department of Transportation 

Freeway Traffic and Safety Patrol/Response (FTSP) Vehicles Acquisition 

Federal Highway Administration (FHW A) also supports the acquisition of FTSP vehicles for the 

Office of CHART's Emergency Traffic Patrol (ETP) program. 

This acquisition of FTSP vehicles is also funded under the 

FAST Act's Surface Transportation Block Grant (STBG) 

Program- Z240. The total approved funds for two Fiscal Years; 

2017 through 2018, is $2.86M, funded by both FHWA and 

State funds at 80% and 20% match respectively. 

The FTSP vehicles include both heavy duty and light duty 

vehicles. To perform incident management and emergency 

response functions efficiently, these FTSP vehicles are equipped with state-of-the-art 

technologies such as Automated Vehicle Location (AVL), permanently mounted Closed Circuit 

Television (CCTV) cameras, two-way radio communications and Capital Wireless Information 

Net (Cap WIN) capabilities. 

The A VL system allows CHART to record and analyze the 

performance of its vehicles in real time. This facilitates enhanced 

public services through better on-time performance and an 

improved response time to statewide emergencies. It also allows 

CHART to evaluate and pursue new ways of adjusting its 

services to meet the ever-changing needs of the BaltimoreWashington metropolitan area. 

The CCTV cameras mounted on CHART FSP vehicles aid in the delivery of services by 

allowing remote operation of the camera from the operations center, thereby reliving responders 

of the need to set-up, manage and control the cameras before, during or after servicing an event 

or incident. Since a high definition camera is mounted on top of the vehicle, operators back at the 

operations center can control the pan, tilt, and zoom functions of the camera remotely, view a 

higher quality picture from a higher vantage point while allowing the responder to focus more on 

delivering services on site. The cameras provide CHART with valuable real-time information to 

be more efficient in incident management and incident clearance. It also allows CHART 

operators and managers to communicate information about the incident scene with their peers as 

well as field operators more effectively to speed recovery times and restore traffic to normal 

conditions. 

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The Cap WIN is a program that was created by and continues to operate under the direction of a 

coalition of law enforcement, fire/Emergency Medical Services (EMS), and transportation 

agencies in Maryland, Virginia, and the District of 

Columbia to advance data communications across agency, 

jurisdiction, government, and discipline boundaries. The 

Cap WIN program facilitates enhanced incident response 

communications by integrating transportation, public 

safety and voice communications systems data throughout 

the Baltimore-Washington region. Cap WIN supports 

effective incident management coordination and 

information sharing capabilities among multiple responders which include: law enforcement, fire 

and rescue, EMS, transportation agencies, motorist 

assistance services, information service providers 

(ISPs), and the media. 

The pictures show examples ofFTSP vehicles and 

the permanent camera mounted on one of the 

vehicles. 

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ITS ~ /'MERICA 

Intelligent Transportation Society of America 

Innovation in Surface Transportation Best Practice 

Michigan Department of Transportation 

US-23 Flex Route 

The US-23 freeway between Brighton and Ann Arbor carries approximately 66,000 vehicles per 

day. Outside of the Detroit metropolitan area, it is the most congested corridor in Michigan. 

During light traffic and ideal conditions, the drive between Brighton and Ann Arbor only takes 

about 20 minutes, but during rush hour, it can take more than an hour. And without a good 

alternate route in the area, traffic can be at a near standstill whenever there is an incident. 

The US-23 corridor north of Ann Arbor experiences heavy peak hour directional traffic 

southbound in the morning and northbound in the afternoon and has been the subject of study 

and improvements for 20 years. In 2009, the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) 

completed the US-23 Corridor Feasibility Study that identified short-term and long-term corridor 

improvements. While MDOT was able to address the short-term recommendations and 

implement a corridor Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) and expand the regional Freeway 

Courtesy Patrol, a long-term solution to adequately address safety, recurring and non-recurring 

congestion and incident management was needed. Due to the State of Michigan's infrastructure 

funding challenges and an estimated construction cost of over $185 million to widen this section 

of the US-23 corridor, MDOT investigated other innovative ways to solve the 

corridor's operational and safety problems. 

In 2017, MDOT opened its first Flex Route along US-23 in Washtenaw and Livingston counties. 

For years, the problems of peak hour directional traffic, incident management and corridor 

operations and safety eluded the 

department. All short-term 

solutions for congestion, 

operations and incident 

management were exhausted 

through the implementation of 

Intelligent Transportation System 

and expansion of a Freeway 

Courtesy Patrol. However, a longterm solution to adequately 

address safety, recurring and nonrecurring congestion and incident 

management was still needed. Due 

to the State of Michigan's infrastructure funding challenges and an estimated construction cost of 

over $185 million to widen the US-23 corridor, MDOT investigated other innovative ways to 

solve the corridor's operational and safety problems. The US-23 Flex Route was the solution. 

Completed in 2017, the US-23 Flex Route is nine miles in length from M-14 to M-36 north of 

Ann Arbor. The project included construction of road, bridge and interchange operational 

improvements and Active Traffic Management (A TM) strategies for the US-23 corridor to 

address daily recurring and non-recurring traffic, incident management and overall motorist 

safety. Using the Flex Route's lane control gantry system, MDOT can now dynamically manage 

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recurrent and non-recurrent congestion through technology and operational A TM strategies 

including dynamic lane control and shoulder use, variable speed advisories and queue warning. 

Real-time data is being used to actively manage traffic to open the shoulder, harmonize speeds, 

warn drivers of conditions ahead and respond to incidents. Dynamic Message Signs (DMS), 

Microwave Vehicle Detection Systems (MVDS), Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras 

and fiber optic cable are all being used in a new and innovative way. A new software module 

was developed for the project and integrated into MOOT's existing Advanced Traffic 

Management System (A TMS) software package. The software includes: response plans for the 

MDOT Statewide Operations Center (STOC) Flex Route Operators to open the shoulder during 

peak periods; an algorithm to analyze real-time data and propose advisory speeds to harmonize 

traffic flow; and logic for dynamic response plans to react to incidents that may require lane 

closures and/or shoulder openings. 

Along with the Flex Route system and road, bridge and interchange improvements, MDOT also 

incorporated other safety innovations and multi-modal opportunities into the project. MDOT 

added truck parking ITS in advance of the rest area, seven emergency pull-offsites and a park 

and ride facility that is enabled with ITS for future transit service. 

Since deployment, the US-23 Flex Route has improved planning time by 57% and travel time by 

32% during the morning peak hours, and corridor speeds have increased by approximately 20 

mph. MDOT anticipates that over time, the incidents of primary and secondary crashes will be 

reduced. With a total project cost of $119,000,000 and an ITS budget of $16,42 I ,000 this project 

showed an annual ITS Cost/Benefit Ratio of 5.06 as seen above. This project used a number of 

funding types, including, but not limited to; CMAQ, R&R, Bridge R&R all contributing towards 

an 80:20 federal match. Overall, the US-23 Flex Route has improved congestion and advanced 

transportation systems management and operations for the corridor. It has also had a significant 

impact on the reliability, safety 

and mobility for the motorists who travel US-23. 

Below is a list of objectives met with the US-23 Flex Route: 

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l. Improved system reliability and planning time during the peak hour by 57% southbound in 

the morning and 22% northbound in the evening. 

2. Improved system travel time during the peak hour by 32% southbound in the morning and 

9% northbound in the evening. 

3. Improved corridor speeds from 40 mph to 59 mph southbound in the morning and from 51 

mph to 56 mph northbound in the evening. 

4. Improved corridor incident management. 

5. Added seven crash investigation sites and emergency pull offs. 

6. Improved interchange operations by improving ramp terminals and adding ramp extensions 

at five interchanges. 

7. Reconstructed three interchanges and three bridges and added non-motorized 

accommodations for future connection. Bridge improvements included raising the under 

clearance to address high load hits. 

8. Reduced primary and secondary crashes in the first month of operation by over 50% 

9. Improved work zone operations by providing for an additional flex lane to manage traffic 

during maintenance and construction activities 

l 0. Improved corridor aesthetics through CSS coordination with the local communities 

In 2018, the US-23 Flex Route project was awarded the Best of Intelligent Transportation 

Systems (ITS) Award for Transportation Systems Operations from ITS America and the 

Engineering Eminent Conceptor Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies 

(ACEC) of Michigan. The ACEC Michigan award is the highest honor awarded to the 

infrastructure project with the most impact on the citizens of the State of Michigan. 

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Intelligent Transportation Society of America 

Innovation in Surface Transportation Best Practice 

Metropolitan Transportation Commission of the San Francisco Bay Area 

Bay Bridge Forward 

Funding: $49.4M ($16.5M Federal, $32.9M Regional/Local). The Metropolitan Transportation 

Commission (MTC) approved funding for the program in 2016. The Commission is comprised 

of locally elected officials (mayors, city councilmembers, county supervisors) as well as nonvoting state and federal officials from-the U.S. Department of Transportation, U.S. Department 

of Housing and Urban Development, and California State Transportation Agency. 

The San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge Corridor is the single most congested travel corridor in 

the 9-county Bay Area region. This bridge corridor endures nearly 27,000 vehicle-hours of daily 

delay and carries over 270,000 vehicles across the bay. Not only does this corridor top the Bay 

Area in congestion, but rail, ferry and bus transit services also experience crowding. 

Bay Bridge Forward is a suite of projects that moves more people in fewer vehicles to make the 

most efficient use of the bridge's capacity. It includes implementation of near-term, costeffective operational improvements that offer travel time savings, reliability and increased 

capacity for carpooling and bus/ferry transit. These improvements will not only increase person 

throughput and improve access to jobs in San Francisco but also reduce congestion, incidents, 

and emissions in the bridge corridor. The Bay Bridge Forward Project began implementation in 

2016, and most projects are underway and expected to be completed over the next two years. 

Below are descriptions of Bay Bridge Forward projects with ITS elements. 

West Grand HOV!Bus Only Lane, West Grand Transit Signal Priority (TSP), Dynamic 

Transit Routing 

West Grand High Occupancy Vehicle (HO V)/Bus Only Lane 

During the morning commute periods, westbound approaches to the Bay Bridge experience 

significant delays, which include traffic from the 1-80, 1-580, 1-880, and the West Grand Avenue 

on-ramp in Oakland. The West Grand Avenue on-ramp provides access to the northbound 1-880 

connector approaching the Bay Bridge, as well as access to eastbound 1-580. Buses using the 

West Grand Avenue on-ramp can access the bridge via a bus-only ramp that is also open to other 

HOVs during carpool hours. 

The project is intended to increase Transbay person throughput by providing access and 

operational improvements for transit buses and eligible carpools through the conversion of 

approximately 1,300 feet ofthe right shoulder on the West Grand Avenue on-ramp and 

northbound 1-880 connector to a bus lane. This project allows buses and carpools to access the 

HOV /Bus Only lane earlier and bypass queues during congested conditions. 

West Grand Transit Signal Priority (TSP) 

MTC, in conjunction with the city of Oakland and Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District (AC 

Transit), is also implementing TSP along West Grand Avenue in the city of Oakland. Buses 

traveling on West Grand Avenue and continuing to the West Grand on-ramp across the Bay 

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Bridge will benefit from travel time savings and reliability with both TSP and the HOY/Bus 

Only Lane. 

Caption: West Grand Ave. On-Ramp Bus!HOV Lane, Transit Signal Priority, and Dynamic 

Transit Routing 

Dynamic Transit Routing 

AC Transit currently has one bus route that uses the West Grand on-ramp. However, with the 

West Grand HOY/Bus Only Lane and West Grand TSP, AC Transit has identified several other 

routes that often get stuck in congested conditions on the I-580 bridge approach that would 

benefit from rerouting to West Grand. MTC is working with AC Transit to develop a decision 

support system for dispatchers to reroute buses to West Grand based on real-time traffic 

conditions. 

Vehicle Occupancy Detection 

In the Bay Area, 58% of HOY lanes are degraded, meaning that they fail the federal performance 

standard of maintaining an average speed of 45 mph at least 90 percent of the time during the 

peak hour over a consecutive 180-day period. Additionally, occupancy violations average 24% in 

the Bay Area and range as high as 39%, contributing to degradation. 

To enforce such widespread violations, MTC is testing a pilot deployment of automated vehicle 

occupancy detection systems. The second phase of the pilot will include custom features such as 

an app to alert California Highway Patrol officers of frequent violators. This pilot is a step 

towards the wider deployment of vehicle occupancy detection technology to enforce managed 

lanes. 

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Integrated Bridge Corridor 

The Bay Bridge is central to and an integral part of the Bay Area transportation system that 

connects between 1-80, 1-880, 1-580 and US I 0!. There are currently several Integrated Corridor 

Management (ICM) systems and Express Lanes being planned and implemented in the area on 1-

80 and 1-880; the existing Bay Bridge metering lights are also being upgraded to an advanced 

system with an adaptive algorithm to account for bridge capacity and to increase throughput. The 

Integrated Bridge Corridor component of the Bay Bridge Forward will develop and implement a 

system to manage the collective system of traffic management strategies on these major freeway 

corridors feeding the Bay Bridge to optimize system performance based on real-time traffic 

information. 

Commuter Parking Initiative 

The Commuter Parking Initiative will construct three new commuter 

parking lots using underutilized airspaces under freeways. These 

parking lots will be actively managed and employ technologies such 

as real-time availability to allow commuters to know whether spaces 

are available, mobile payment, and license plate readers for efficient 

enforcement. 

Flexible Transit 

Hospitals are among the largest employers in San Francisco; most 

are located outside of downtown and not directly served by regional 

transit providers. After reaching out to some large employers, MTC 

decided to work with University of California, San Francisco 

(UCSF) and Kaiser Foundation Hospital (KFH). Both hospitals have 

a growing share of their employees living outside of the city due to 

housing affordability, which has challenged their ability to recruit 

and retain staff. 

UCSF is piloting new flexible on-demand transit routes between the East Bay (Oakland, 

Berkeley, and Emeryville) and UCSF in San Francisco. The goal is to develop a transit service 

that can divert drive-alone East Bay drivers to transit. This service employs technology that 

allows users to reserve their pickup time and location; drivers can also skip stops if they know 

that riders are not alighting at particular stops. 

KFH is implementing a commute management platform to help reduce employee drive-alone 

rates, offer ridesharing options, and manage parking. KFH is implementing a platform that 

integrates with parking systems, mobility providers, and HR systems; captures a baseline and 

measures employee commute activity across all modes, especially parking; applies more efficient 

management of employee transportation programs; helps employees find and share rides to and 

from work; and measures the effectiveness of different commuter incentives and commute mode 

options. 

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Caption: Near-Term, Low-Cost, and High-Impact Efficiency Strategies 

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Intelligent Transportation Society of America 

Innovation in Surface Transportation Best Practice 

Pennsylvania Department of Transportation 

Interstate 76 Integrated Corridor Management 

This is a PennDOT District 6-0 project, included on the Delaware Valley Regional Planning 

Commission (DVRPC) TIP. The project was identified and developed through a comprehensive 

analysis of Transportation Systems Management and Operations (TSMO) measures along the 1-

76 corridor, culminating in a Concept of Operations (ConOps) for Intelligent Transportation 

Systems Enhancements published in September 2016. Out of the initial ConOps effort, four 

separate consultant services projects have been advanced: one for the design of Active Traffic 

Management enhancements on the 1-76 mainline; two for design of parallel arterial corridor 

traffic signal enhancements in Montgomery and Philadelphia counties; and one for the 

management and coordination ofTSMO initiatives within the entire corridor. 

The project is located along the I-76 corridor in Montgomery and Philadelphia Counties. The 

overall project location includes 13 miles of mainline 1-76 between the Pennsylvania Turnpike 

(1-276/1-76) in King of Prussia and US Route 1 in Philadelphia. Also included are the parallel 

and intersecting arterial roadways, rail and bus transit facilities, and pedestrian and biking paths 

within roughly the same limits. 

The mainline component of the program consists of junction control and flex lanes using a 

collection of ITS technologies such as dynamic lane assignment, variable speed limits and queue 

warning, also known as Active Traffic Management (A TM). These technologies were selected 

because 1-76 in the project limits experiences recurring and non-recurring traffic congestion and 

has a history of congestion-related crashes. 

Traffic signal equipment on arterial roadways will be upgraded and standardized, and control and 

maintenance responsibilities for these corridor signal systems will transfer from the 

municipalities to Penn DOT in line with state legislation and resultant legal agreements. This 

will allow for a more seamless coordination and operation of signals during congested periods 

and incidents on the expressway and make these corridors a more reliable transportation 

alterative. Arterial ITS deployments will also be expanded to help facilitate the active 

monitoring of these corridors and the provision oftraveler information to motorists. 

Both the mainline and arterial roadways will be outfitted with communications equipment that 

will allow for the bi-directional flow of information between roadway infrastructure, 

automobiles, transit vehicles, pedestrians, and bikers. These deployments will support the 

Commonwealth's commitment to furthering vehicle-to-infrastructure connected vehicle 

initiatives. 

A TM, flex lanes and junction control are proven technologies for dynamically managing all the 

pavement (including shoulders), allowing traffic to utilize lanes/shoulders at different times of 

the day for the movement(s) that require them the most. A TM technologies can also reduce rearend crashes that result from motorists' inability to reduce speed quickly enough when congestion 

is initially observed, crashes related to adverse weather conditions, and secondary crashes. 

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Operating and maintaining traffic signals on corridors across jurisdictional boundaries will allow 

for them to operate more efficiently and reduce operations and maintenance costs through 

economies of scale. Standardization of signal and communications equipment will make the 

system more reliable and support preventative and response maintenance activities. 

Enhancements to bicycle, pedestrian and transit facilities and the integration of PennDOT 

highway and SEPTA transit data and operations will allow for these modes to be more attractive 

as a transportation option within the corridor and provide travelers with more reliable 

information with which to make mode and route decisions. 

Funding for all parts and phases of the 1-76 ICM Program, as noted in the soon-to-be-adopted 

Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission's FY 2019-22 Transportation Improvement 

Program (DVRPC TIP), are federal transportation dollars in the National Highway Performance 

Program (NHPP) category. PennDOT has chosen to allocate these funds to the program from 

statewide funding sources, rather than within the fiscally-constrained regional programming 

budgets. 

As shown in the Regional Interstate Management Program summary, the 1-76 ICM Program is 

funded in the following categories and amounts per fiscal year (previous TIP funding supports 

the ongoing Preliminary design phase): 

FY2019 FY2020 FY2021 FY2022 FY2023-26 

Final Design $l.OM $3.5 M $3.485 M $0 

Utility $4.24 M $1.75 M $0 

Right-of-Way $6.24 M $4.0M $0 

Construction $12.0 M $107.025M 

Total $0 $l.OM $13.98 M $21.235 M $107.025 M 

When combined with the previously programmed Preliminary Design and Regional Traveler 

Information construction funding, the 1-76 Integrated Corridor Management Program has been 

allocated nearly $170 million, divided among its major program components. 

Along mainline I-76, the ICM project will partially reconstruct the shoulder to provide sufficient 

width for a third travel lane. This is consistent with TSMO goals, in that shoulder expansion to 

provide a temporary third running lane is a fraction of the cost required to reconstruct and widen 

the entire highway and will buy time before a full reconstruction needs to be completed. 

However, this work will support future reconstruction when it is economically feasible by 

providing the width necessary to maintain traftic as the highway is expanded. 

The mainline design team is looking at facilities within the I-76 corridor (bridges, culverts, storm 

water management facilities) that are deficient or in need of repair as site investigation 

progresses. Upgrades or repair of these facilities to address deficiencies and extend service life 

will be included in the overall project. Along arterial corridors, as previously noted, this project 

will be upgrading and standardizing traffic signal equipment for 160 traffic signals, reducing the 

burden of future maintenance. 

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This project will provide congestion relief during peak travel times and help facilitate goods 

movement to/from the city of Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Port Facilities. The reduction of 

stop and go traffic conditions during daytime hours will reduce tailpipe emissions. Additionally, 

a comprehensive analysis of storm water management and permitting will address groundwater 

and infiltration requirements. As previously indicated, both the mainline and arterial corridors 

will be outfitted with connected/automated vehicle communications equipment. The systems 

integration portion of the project will include the transport, processing, and dissemination of 

CAY data at the District's Regional Transportation Management Center (RTMC). The project 

supports smart communities' objectives by providing a robust, redundant communications 

backbone that can be enhanced and extended through the region with existing data access points. 

Per Regional Integrated Transportation Information System (RITIS) data, congestion along the 

referenced 13-mile section of I-76 costs Pennsylvania drivers over 3 million hours of delay 

annually, which equates to a user delay cost of $73 million. In addition, the impact of higherthan-average accident rates along the corridor leads to additional economic costs. The 

implementation of ICM and A TM improvements along I-76 is focused on providing economic 

benefits for in both areas. It is not anticipated that the implementation of Flex Lanes along I-76 

will provide much in the way of trip generation but it will instead better service existing regional 

trips. 

This project is supported by three primary regional stakeholder groups. These groups have been 

meeting regularly during both the Concept of Operations development as well as through 

conceptual/preliminary engineering for the corridor project. Feedback has been constructive 

and substantive from all member agencies. Stakeholder groups are broken up as follows: 

• Executive Stakeholder Group 

o Penn DOT (District and Central Office) 

o SEPTA 

o PA State Police 

o FHWA 

o Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission 

o City of Philadelphia 

o Montgomery County 

• Emergency Responder Stakeholder Group 

o Local EMS, Fire, Police agencies. 

o Most Coordination has been facilitated through the DVRPC's I-76/I-476 Incident 

Management Task Force Group. 

• Advisory Committee 

o All members of the Executive and Emergency Responder Groups plus: 

Local Municipality Representatives 

Additional County Government Agencies 

Local Transportation Advocacy Groups 

General public information sharing is accomplished via a project website and social media. The 

program is frequently discussed as one of the region's highest profile projects. 

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ITS~ AMERICA 

Intelligent Transportation Society of America 

Innovation in Surface Transportation Best Practice 

Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada 

Waycare 

Waycare is a partnership between Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada 

(RTC), Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT), Nevada Highway Patrol, and Waycare. 

Located in southern Nevada, Waycare helps improve safety and efficiency on freeways, 

including key freight corridors and major arterials by compiling and analyzing data to report in 

real-time the location of accidents and predict where dangerous driving conditions or congestion 

may occur. 

This technology enables faster validation and response to roadway incidents as well as a more 

efficient use of resources to proactively deploy traffic patrols and abatement efforts with the goal 

of preventing incidents. So far, early incident identification through Waycare has shown to be 

11.9 minutes faster on average than prior modes of incident identification. Waycare is 

quantifying travel reliability and that information is used to make measurable impacts on safety 

and efficiency. 

The project cost is $779,000 and is funded with local dollars. 

By enabling faster incident response times and proactively addressing problematic traffic areas, 

Waycare helps ensure a safer and more efficient movement of freight and goods on highways 

and arterials. The project reduces congestion, which, in turn, reduces emissions of greenhouse 

gases. The project demonstrates how multiple entities collaborate to successfully deploy vehicleto-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure technology. It proves that data from a multitude of 

providers can be successfully integrated to solve problems. 

Waycare supports smart communities objectives in several ways, including the sharing of data 

and promoting the collaboration between multiple agencies to make roadways safer and travel 

more efficient. Traffic congestion can be reduced (thus allowing for more efficient travel for all) 

when roadway incidents are cleared more quickly, which Waycare has achieved in Southern 

Nevada. 

RTC is working with state officials from the DOT and the Department of Public Safety as well 

as local traffic agencies and emergency responders. Key local, state, and Federal elected 

officials have been updated on the project. 

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Intelligent Transportation Society of America 

Innovation in Surface Transportation Best Practice 

Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada 

INRI X 

The Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC) is partnering with lNRIX 

on a new platform called A Y Road Rules (A YRR), which provides the foundation for 

jurisdictions and road authorities to digitize and communicate traffic rules to connected and 

autonomous vehicles, allowing them to operate safely and effectively within roadway limitations 

such as speed limits, turn restrictions, bikes lanes and more. 

lNRIX's state-of-the-art platform allows cities and road authorities to digitize their traffic rules 

and restrictions, such as speed limits, crosswalks, turn restrictions and bikes lanes, so they can 

communicate with highly automated vehicles (HAYs), allowing them to operate safely and 

effectively. 

The project includes no local or federal dollars. Minimal staff time is required for coordination 

and digitizing. 

A VRR also enables HAYs to report infrastructure needs, such as potholes, inadequate lane 

striping and inadequate signage, to the appropriate road authorities. This is a valuable tool for 

cities to more quickly identify infrastructure needs and leverage HA V operation to improve the 

safety and comfort of streets for all users. 

A YRR will be distributed to freight and goods movement providers, thereby improving their 

efficiencies. A YRR deployment to HAYs will improve traffic flow and reduce greenhouse gas 

emissions. 

As connected and autonomous vehicles continue to develop, a central challenge to consumer 

acceptance is the question of how the vehicles will operate safely and understand local rules of 

the roads. The first-of-its-kind A V Road Rules (A YRR) platform will help ensure the safe and 

effective operation of highly automated vehicles (HAYs) on public roads. In addition to helping 

build public acceptance of autonomous vehicles, the platform will also help cities and authorities 

prepare now to test and deploy connected and automated vehicles. 

Smart infrastructure and data sharing processes must be in place to enable vehicle-toinfrastructure and vehicle-to-vehicle communication, and the A YRR platform supports this 

objective. This partnership allows third-party providers, such as Jnrix, and regional transportation 

agencies, such as RTC, to identify best practices and opportunities. These results can be shared 

with agencies throughout the country, resulting in decreased transportation costs and improved 

mobility. 

RTC, one of a few state and local agencies participating in the program, is collaborating with 

state and local agencies. 

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Intelligent Transportation Society of America 

Innovation in Surface Transportation Best Practice 

Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada 

Audi 

Audi debuted the first-of-its-kind 'Time to Green" feature that provides the driver with a 

countdown to when a red light will turn green. The Regional Transportation Commission of 

Southern Nevada· s (RTC) advanced traffic management system provides specially-equipped 

Audi vehicles real-time traffic signal information through countdown in the instrument panel. 

Traffic Tech Services runs the predictive analysis to determine whether a traffic light's 

countdown is accurate. If the countdown meets certain confidence levels, it is released to Audi 

for display in the car. The RTC's traffic management center, which operates across all 

jurisdictions in southern Nevada, provides the means (hardware and software) for data to be 

pushed to Traffic Tech in real time. 

The "Time to Green" feature helps reduce stress and keep drivers more informed when 

approaching intersections. In addition, the RTC's traffic management center receives real-time 

anonymous traffic signal timing data from the connected vehicle to help better manage 

congestion on crowded roadways. 

There is no cost to RTC. Hardware and software were already in place to support this effort. 

Minimal staffing hours are needed to implement and maintain the program. The project enables 

RTC to receive real-time feedback related to the performance of software and the 

communication network. RTC is working with Audi and its engineers to design analytics using 

the real-time feeds. 

The RTC's traffic management center receives real-time anonymous traffic signal timing data 

from the connected vehicle to help better manage traffic on crowded roadways, helping to keep 

freight and goods moving more smoothly. Thanks to data provided from the connected vehicle, 

traffic signal timing sequences can be adjusted to keep traffic flowing and reduce idling time and 

congestion that leads to increased emissions and air pollution. Eventually, the V2! information 

can be integrated into a vehicle's start/stop behavior, navigation system to optimize routing, and 

predictive services (such as presenting the driver with a speed recommendation designed to 

maximize the number of green lights one can make in sequence). These services are designed to 

improve efficiency, drive time or traffic management. 

This precedent--setting partnership will help establish the foundation for how local governments 

and auto manufacturers can develop meaningful policies, build infrastructure and connect 

systems to accommodate V2! technology to achieve smart community objectives, including 

improving mobility, increasing safety and reducing congestion. The economy can benefit from 

signal timing that reduces delays and improves reliability. Data from projects like Audi can 

support these analytics. 

RTC works with state and local agencies to ensure that traffic signal hardware and software as 

well as communication networks can provide real-time signal data that Audi and its engineering 

team can use. 

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ITS=: AMERICA 

Intelligent Transportation Society of America 

Innovation in Surface Transportation Best Practice 

Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada 

AAA and Keolis 

The Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC), along with the city of Las 

Vegas, provides traffic signal data to a self-driving shuttle sponsored by AAA and Keolis that 

operates in mixed traffic along a half mile loop in downtown Las Vegas. The shuttle is the 

country's first autonomous bus to be fully integrated with "smart city" infrastructure. The project 

furthers the development and deployment of autonomous shuttle technology that can serve as a 

viable transportation option to improve safety and traffic flow. This project includes local and 

private sector funds. 

RTC and its partners monitor the health of the infrastructure system using the data generated 

from the infrastructure and the shuttle. They are also developing best practices regarding cyber 

security, which will contribute to state-of-good-repair of technology deployments. 

Lessons learned from autonomous vehicle performance are directly transferable from the shuttle 

use to freight and goods movement use. The shuttle is fully electric and does not produce 

emissions that lead to air pollution. Lessons learned from a fully autonomous deployment in a 

complex urban setting will inform other use cases and lead to environmental benefits. 

This pilot will help the partners 

understand the customer 

experience on board an 

autonomous shuttle and learn 

more about how autonomous 

vehicles operate in mixed traffic. 

The project will help the entities 

begin to develop standards for 

sharing data with connected and 

autonomous vehicles as federal 

standards don't currently exist. 

Currently, the shuttle is offering 

free rides and is attracting more 

than 150 passengers a day. 

However, in the future, an 

autonomous shuttle like this could 

be a viable transit option and part 

of a fare-based transit system. 

Project is a collaboration of local and regional agencies, a private-sector transit provider and 

shuttle manufacturer, and AAA. State and federal partners are aware of the project successes. 

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The project concept was used in recent federal grant applications to address first-mile last-mile 

challenges. 

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ITS ~ f\t\AERICA 

Intelligent Transportation Society of America 

Innovation in Surface Transportation Best Practice 

Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada 

Nexar 

Nexar is an app that uses smartphone dash cams and wireless technology to provide drivers realtime alerts to prevent vehicle, cyclist and pedestrian collisions. The app records video outside of 

a vehicle and measures vehicle dynamics related to speed, braking and turns. Warnings from 

adjacent vehicles are communicated to drivers via the app, such as the need to brake for a hazard. 

The Nexar network is well established in New York City and San Francisco, where it reported a 

24 percent reduction in collisions since its inception. 

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) believes implementing V2V 

networks can help reduce crashes, not including those involving drivers under the influence, by 

79 percent. Thus, the Nexar network can help increase vehicular and pedestrian safety on Nevada 

roadways. Nexar's data also enables the RTC I local and state governments to leverage carsourced information to improve infrastructure and traffic management, roadway maintenance, 

regional transportation planning and policy-making, and ridesharing/transit applications. There 

are currently no direct costs incurred by state or local agencies. Minimal staff time is being used 

to assist with deployment and analytics. 

Nexar's street level car-sourced information, including congestion, traffic patterns, infrastructure 

defects, road hazards, and collision instances, is shared with the RTC/ local and state 

governments in real-time. The real-time traffic data Nexar provides can help the RTC better 

manage busy roadways, thus improving the movement of freight and goods. The data Nexar 

provides can help reduce C02 emissions by identifying impediments to traffic flow. 

V2V is a critical safety feature that extends the line-of-sight and allows for communication 

between human drivers and autonomous vehicles. As the network develops, Nexar will train 

Nevada traffic operations officials and help enable, monitor, manage and ultimately certify 

autonomous vehicles. 

Nexar's platform allows state and local transportation officials access to previously unavailable 

real-time anonymous data related to roadway use, traffic patterns and transportation 

infrastructure. The data can help local governments achieve smart community objectives, 

including improving safety, efficiency and system performance; reducing C02 emissions by 

identifying impediments to traffic flow; and enacting a more holistic road management policy by 

leveraging the data Nexar generates to understand road velocities, traffic blockers, and human 

braking effectiveness. To support the statewide V2V network, Nexar expects to add more than a 

dozen new full-time jobs in Nevada as the network grows. In addition, establishing the V2V 

network has the potential to support growth of the transportation ecosystem and foster hundreds 

of additional jobs in technology, insurance, data management, software development and 

autonomous vehicle training. 

RTC, the State and various local transportation providers are the key project supporters in 

Nevada. 

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ITS~ .AMERICA 

Intelligent Transportation Society of America 

Innovation in Surface Transportation Best Practice 

Tennessee Department of Transportation 

1-24 SMART Corridor 

The l-24 SMART Corridor runs from Nashville to Murfreesboro, Murfreesboro Pike (parallel 

arterial running the entire length of l-24), connecting arterials between I-24 and Murfreesboro 

Pike. 

Transportation technology has long been proven as an effective tool for managing traffic 

congestion. Along I-24, traffic volumes have increased by more than 60%. Accident rates along 

this segment are the highest in the state. To respond to this increased traffic demand, the 

Tennessee Department of Transportation is implementing an Integrated Corridor Management 

(ICM) system that will seamlessly manage the corridor as a multimodal system through 

institutional collaboration and integration of infrastructure. 

This ICM system will implement ramp metering, multijurisdictional traffic signal coordination, 

electronic signs for traveler information, incentivized removal of disabled vehicles, transit 

service enhancements, incident management strategies, and many other complementary elements 

to achieve the following objectives: 

• Enhance safety along the corridor 

• Inform travelers of freeway and arterial conditions 

• Establish interagency coordination 

• Promote the use of alternate travel modes 

• Create reliable travel times along the corridor 

• Prepare the corridor for future technology 

This project is expected to directly contribute to these measures by creating the following 

corridor performance enhancements: 

• Reliable and regular traffic flow along the freeway will reduce secondary, rear-end 

accidents that cause significant additional delay. 

Rapid removal of disabled vehicles from the freeway shoulder will improve safety by 

reducing or eliminating the possibility of vehicles side-swiping or rear-ending disabled 

vehicles, causing substantial congestion. 

• Incident management strategies deployed along the arterials will improve the ability to 

increase throughput of freeway traffic that uses arterials to bypass a freeway incident. 

These strategies enable the arterial to return to normal traffic flow more quickly. 

• New fiber communications will fill gaps in existing infrastructure to enable agencies to 

remotely monitor traffic conditions and optimize traffic operations in a proactive manner. 

• Transit operations will be enhanced through improvements in infrastructure and 

deployment of field technology by facilitating transit reliability, which is expected to 

increase ridership. 

The estimated cost for the l-24 ICM project is $68M. This includes project development, design, 

construction, and system integration. The project will be delivered through II different 

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deployments in multiple project phases, including design/construction, equipment procurement, 

and service procurement. Project funding consists of the following: 

80% federal- National Highway Performance Program- Surface Transportation Block Grant 

20% state. 

Development of this project includes an Operations and Maintenance strategy that outlines roles 

and responsibilities for routine, preventative, and replacement maintenance activities. By 

supplementing these responsibilities and activities with estimated annual costs to operate and 

maintain the equipment, TOOT will be able to sustain a Smart Corridor program that has reliable 

functional performance. 

1-24 is a major freight corridor into and through the Nashville metropolitan area, with critical 

distribution centers located throughout the corridor. Advanced traveler information to freight 

traffic will be used to alert freight operators of current conditions before vehicles enter the 

corridor. This will inform drivers to avoid the corridor, delay entry to the corridor, or use 

alternate routes to bypass the corridor in the event of significant incidents causing congestion. 

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are increased when vehicles spend more time in the corridor 

and on the road. The 1-24 ICM will reduce travel time and reduce vehicle delay for all vehicles. 

This will reduce GHG on the freeway as well as arterials. 

l-24 will be equipped with electronic changeable message signs between each interchange along 

the freeway in both directions. Each sign will be equipped with a Dedicated Short-Range 

Communication (DSRC) radio transmitter/receiver that will send traveler information messages 

to subscribed vehicles approaching each sign location. These devices also will collect valuable 

vehicle information to be stored in a central database for traffic flow analytics. DSRC also will 

be installed at signalized intersections along the parallel arterial and connector routes to assist 

with future CV/AV applications and help fulfill FHWA 's Signal Timing and Phasing (SPaT) 

challenge issued to the state DOTs. 

Regarding smart infrastructure, the communications network will be integrated such that field 

devices (e.g., video cameras, traffic signals, electronic signs) will remotely communicate with 

central management centers in each jurisdiction. The central management centers will be 

connected to each other to share of video and data from agency to agency and promote 

collaboration oftraffic management strategies across agency boundaries. 

Introducing connected vehicle technology to the region will promote smart communities by 

providing drivers and potential drivers with advanced corridor traffic information, enabling 

drivers to make informed decisions about specific routes and time of departure. This also 

positions the corridor to accommodate other smart community technology related to one-stop 

services for shopping, travel modes, and other services. This project will promote increased 

productivity through regular travel enhancements as well as freight and goods movement. 

Improved corridor performance will create a desirable community for future residential and 

commercial development, supporting a vital and vibrant economy. 

This project has full support from federal, state, and local entities. The Federal Highway 

Administration (FHW A) is a valuable partner in defining and developing project concepts and 

overall project process. FHWA approved the project, which was developed according to its 

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Systems Engineering process. TOOT is the lead agency for the overall project and has provided 

full support for its development and delivery. All stakeholders along this corridor, which 

includes the cities ofNashville, LaVergne, Smyrna, and Murfreesboro, Rutherford County, 

MTA, and RT A, have been full and active partners in the development of project strategies. 

These stakeholders have contributed to project direction, concept definition and review, and 

overall project support for the establishment of a Smart Corridor within their jurisdictions. Each 

city's governing body has executed a Project Charter and a Resolution of Support memorializing 

their backing of the project. 

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ITS ~ Nv\ERICA 

Intelligent Transportation Society of America 

Innovation in Surface Transportation Best Practice 

Utah Department of Transportation 

Highlights of Technology Projects 

Signal Interconnect Projects 

Benefits Realized: 

• Improved traffic signal coordination through signal controller time clock syncing 

• Daily alerts when signal detection is down, leading to faster mitigation of detection issues 

• Full situational awareness of signal operations quality for connected signals 

• Ability to remotely manage signals for special events and incidents, which results in 

improved efficiency of operations and safety of personnel 

• Remote operations capabilities reduce need for afterhours maintenance deployments, 

saving time and money, and improving worker safety 

• Improved interagency coordination and operation of signals on state and local corridors 

Other Statistics/Facts: 

• 97% of UDOT owned traffic signals are connected 

82% ofnon-UDOT owned traffic signals are connected 

• All traffic signals statewide (UDOT and non-UDOT) are on the same system and can be 

controlled by UDOT and local agencies 

Variable Message Sign (VMS) Projects 

Benefits Realized: 

• Improved communication of road conditions and safety messaging to traveling public 

• Route diversion for improved congestion/incident management 

• Reduced primary and secondary crashes through improved communication with traveling 

public 

• Realtime travel time communication to traveling public 

Studies/Statistics Regarding VMS Effectiveness (not specific to Utah, but indicative of general b 

enefits of VMSs ): 

• Study done by Wisconsin DOT published May 2002 indicated up to 72% of motorists sur 

veyed adjusted their travel routes based on VMS messaging 

• 94% of motorists surveyed traveling on rural roads took actions provided by VMSs in a 

Missouri study published December 20 I 1 

In the San Francisco Bay Area, 8% of motorists switched to transit when VMSs communi 

cated travel time savings of 20 minutes or greater (study published September 2009) 

University of Minnesota study from November 2002 showed VMSs reduced travel times 

by I 2.1% during non-peak hour incidents 

Study done in 4 major metro areas published by FHW A in July 2014 indicated an averag 

e of 86% of drivers surveyed feel Public Service Announcements (PSAs) on VMSs are so 

metimes, often, or always more effective compared to other media 

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Federally-Funded {FAST Act) Technology Projects Completed, Active, or Planned Since 2015 

Completed Projech by Region: 

Fiber Optic Communications Projects 

Benefits Realized: 

Improved communications with ITS devices (CCTV, VMS, Traffic Signals, RWIS, 

etc.) 

• With improved communications, improved efficiency of operations and traffic manag 

ement, response times to incidents, and employee and public safety 

• Improved communications/emergency services to remote areas 

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Intelligent Transportation Society of America 

Innovation in Surface Transportation Best Practice 

Washington State Department of Transportation 

US 395/ Hawthorne Road Channelization & Signal Modification 

This project revised the lane configuration and upgraded the existing signal system at Hawthorne 

Road and US 395 in Spokane, Washington. US 395 (Division Street) is a major at-grade arterial 

route in/through Spokane and a major freight route. The existing traffic signal at Hawthorne 

Road did not permit the east and west lanes to move at the same time due to lane configuration 

restrictions. Channelization revisions created exclusive left turn lanes on Hawthorne going east 

and west, a combined through lane and right turn lane for eastbound traffic, and exclusive 

through lanes and right turn lanes for west bound traffic. These changes allowed the signal to run 

in a standard eight-phase operation under new signal controllers capable of expansion to 

automated vehicle technologies and 

increased operational efficiency of the 

intersection. The total reduction in 

vehicle delay is 22,637 minutes/day. 

The total project cost approximately $1 

million- state contribution is $100,000 

and federal contribution is $900,000 

(CMAQ). 

The Spokane metropolitan area and 

Spokane County qualify as a 

Transportation Management Areas 

(TMA) and a federally-designated 

maintenance area for air quality. 

Through the area Metropolitan Planning 

Organization, Spokane Regional 

Transportation Council, WSDOT 

applied for a Congestion Mitigation & 

Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) 

program grant. The project was a joint 

venture with Spokane County Public 

Works. 

Figure 1 Before 

Figure 2 After 

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Intelligent Transportation Society of America 

Innovation in Surface Transportation Best Practice 

Washington State Department of Transportation 

Centralized Signal System-Joint ATMS throughout Clark County 

Clark County, Washington, is part of the Portland, Oregon metropolitan service area. As the 

second densest county in Washington, smart solutions are necessary to extend the service life of 

existing infrastructure to sustain the region's rapid growth. As the region has grown, 

increasingly traffic signal systems operated by different jurisdictions interact. For example, a 

county highway that crosses 1-5 will be operated by the county, however the interchange traffic 

signals are operated by WSDOT. This creates segmented systems that can cause breakdowns in 

the transportation system. Clark County and WSDOT, in coordination with the area Metropolitan 

Planning Organization (MPO), have a history of working collaboratively to share infrastructure 

such as fiber to lower the overall cost of infrastructure to residents of Clark County. 

In this spirit, Clark County negotiated with their vendor to transform their local centralized 

traffic signal system into a regionally-shared Advanced Traffic Management System (A TMS). 

This upgrade by Clark County enabled the remaining local jurisdictions to share traffic data, and 

remotely operate traffic signals, within each other's systems. The shared centralized signal 

system is documented in an interagency agreement. As part of the agreement, WSDOT-ownedand-operated signals from the seven-county region of Southwest Washington may utilize the 

regional signal system. WSDOT successfully obtained a Congestion Mitigation & Air Quality 

Improvement (CMAQ) program grant through the Southwest Washington Regional 

Transportation Council for this work. 

The CMAQ grant will fund WSDOT's needed system upgrades to effectively communicate with 

Clark County's systems. For the centralized signals systems to communicate thru ATMS, 

WSDOT must make signal controller upgrades to the controller's CPU's (central processing 

units) on existing signals on SR 500 and SR 503 to communicate and share data with our local 

partners. Additionally, to better define and track individual traffic movements within each 

intersection, additional detection loops and detectors will be installed. 

A TMS is capable of adaptively managing and adjusting traffic signal timing to meet real time 

demand. These automated processes will maximize utilization of existing infrastructure, reduce 

delays and emissions, and increase mobility. Once the signal controller upgrades are completed 

in this project, high resolution signal data captured by the system will be used to create 

performance measures to evaluate efficiency of the traffic signal system. During traffic 

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incidents, engineers working in the WSDOT Traffic Management Center will remotely adjust 

county and WSDOT systems to 

assist in managing the 

associated congestion. 

A TMS has an eye on the 

future, broadcasting signal 

phasing and timing (SPAT) 

data over the internet to third 

party vendors (Tidalwave) as 

well as from physical tield 

devices via dedicated shortrange communications Screen Shot of ATMS 1 

(DSRC). This data will be 

crucial as the region transitions to connected and autonomous vehicles. 

The total project cost approximately $200,000 million, out of which, state contribution is 

$51,000 and federal contribution is $149,000 (CMAQ). 

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Intelligent Transportation Society of America 

Innovation in Surface Transportation Best Practice 

Wyoming Department of Transportation 

Mobile App Enhancements 

WYDOT developed a mobile application for smartphones to share pre-trip 

and en route traveler information. This application had three major 

components: 

• A map for pre-trip planning that provides information including road 

conditions, traffic incidents, weather sensor data, web camera 

images, road construction notifications, and truck parking locations. 

• A hands free/eyes free feature that speaks road condition, traffic 

incident, and road construction information as drivers travel down 

the road, alerting them in advance to adverse conditions ahead. 

• A "Where am I?'' feature that correlates the user's GPS location to 

the nearest route and mile marker. This can be used in an emergency 

when a driver needs to be able to share his or her location. The 

location can easily be sent via text or email. 

Based on feedback from the public, we realized we had a real 

opportunity to improve the application to provide better 

information for travelers in Wyoming. Funding from the 

FAST Act allowed us to improve the app to include improved 

features: 

• Submit an Image, which allows users to "pass it to the 

passenger" and submit images of road conditions or 

traffic incidents directly to the state's Transportation 

Management Center. Images and/or text submitted 

through the app can then be shared with the public, or 

information gleaned from the photos can be used to 

update information reporting systems. 

Report on truck parking availability. By sharing 

information about the number of spaces available in 

public parking areas, truck drivers can share with each 

other important information that can be used to make 

decisions about whether to park or to continue driving. 

During road closures due to adverse weather, this can 

also help truck drivers navigate to safe parking 

locations. 

NE Wyoming Information Center ... 

.o,.., 

•locatlon.;I~90Exit,99 

•Sj::)llee$:12. 

•Avallabitl!y;Fuflparkiogbt 

{feb 22, l0'1S ;,t 11;15 AM) 

•FL!ah NotAv.a~able 

Transportation safety, mobility, or infrastructure challenge the project is helping address: This 

application helps the agency provide accurate, timely road condition information to the traveling 

public. Because of the long distances between towns, travelers often don't have the option to 

take an alternate route or choose to stop a trip due to poor conditions once they've committed to 

driving. This application provides relevant information about truck parking availability to help 

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drivers with that decision-making process. It also allows the public to communicate with 

WYDOT if information systems are not accurately reporting conditions. 

Project cost information, including federal match, state/local match, and private funding: About 

$21,000 

By allowing travelers a direct line to the Transportation Management Center allows WYDOT to 

respond to conditions as reported by travelers. Limited staff means that we rely on the public to 

help alert us to issues on the roadway. This application facilitates that. 

This application provides vital road and traffic condition information to truck drivers while they 

are en route. By providing them timely, accurate condition information, truckers can make 

decisions about whether and when to travel. In addition, the app allows truck drivers to post 

information about parking availability. This provides near real-time updates to other drivers to 

help give them the information they need when making decisions about where to park. This 

becomes more important when limited visibility or high winds result in road closures. Providing 

road and traffic condition information can ease traffic congestion, which has a benefit to the 

environment. 

Information received through the truck parking availability and submit a picture features will be 

broadcast via roadside units as part ofWYDOT's Connected Vehicle Pilot. By providing 

accurate, timely road condition information, travelers can make informed decisions about 

whether and when to travel. This provides situational awareness for drivers who can choose to 

stay home, take an alternate route if one is available, or delay a trip. Safer drivers reduce the risk 

of crashes, which have a substantial economic impact. 

Demonstrate the level of support from federal, state, and local elected officials and other key 

policymakers: The mobile app has been downloaded by the public more than 130,000 times. 

Given Wyoming's population of about 560,000 people, this level demonstrates a significant 

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Intelligent Transportation Society of America 

Innovation in Surface Transportation Best Practice 

Wyoming Department of Transportation 

Revised Commercial Vehicle Operator Portal 

The Commercial Vehicle Operator Portal (CVOP) is a web-based system focused on providing a 

one-stop shop for current road conditions and road weather forecast information on the most 

commonly traveled commercial routes in the state. This information is shared with the trucking 

community and was designed based on feedback provided directly from fleet managers. 

Because of their feedback, WYDOT provides road weather forecasts for pavement 

condition, wind, and visibility in 12-hour increments for a total of 72 hours in advance. 

WYDOT's contract meteorologist also provides a more detailed wind grid in three-hour 

increments, so fleets can make important safety and delivery decisions. More than 800 

firms from all but live states are using the system. 

Pre-trip decision support information is vital to fleet operators, and WYDOT 

provides this road forecast information through a simple, web-based interface available to 

all commercial fleets and operators. 

WYDOT estimates that the current system cost no more than $25,000 to build 

and deploy. The system was funded using FY 2018 FAST Act funds with a 90/10 

federal/state match. 

Providing truck drivers and fleet operators with accurate road weather forecasts and current 

conditions in one place allows them to know what their drivers are facing and to advance 

shipments, delay shipments, or re-route their cargo if needed. The primary reason for the 

project is to provide the freight community with accurate road weather forecast 

information so they can make important delivery decisions. A recent survey of CVOP 

users revealed that most fleets are using the information WYDOT provides to their 

deliveries (advancing shipments, delaying shipments or re-routing) before and during 

forecasted storm events. The project reduces emissions by minimizing the time commercial 

vehicles spend idling behind a road closure gate. 

WYDOT was one of three entities selected for the tirst wave of Connected Vehicle Pilot 

Projects. Integral to the Wyoming Pilot is the enhancement of the CVOP system, which was 

recently completed to include both forecast and current conditions in map and text formats. The 

new CVOP will incorporate the Pikalert system originally developed by the National Center for 

Atmospheric Research. In time, it is expected that Pikalert will allow WYDOT to forecast all 

routes in the state. 

WYDOT' s mission is to provide a safe, high quality, and efficient transportation system. The 

CVOP provides information directly focused on keeping drivers safe and moving efficiently. 

During a recent survey, 96.12 percent ofthe respondents said they are either very satisfied (75.19 

percent) or somewhat satisfied (20.93 percent). 

Demonstrate the level of support from federal, state, and local elected officials and 

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other key policymakers: The key stakeholders for this project are commercial trucking 

companies, the Governor's Transportation Safety Coalition, and the Wyoming Trucking 

Association. All key stakeholders support this project. 

Sample tabs from the WYDOT Commercial Vehicle Operator portal arc below. 

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Intelligent Transportation Society of America 

Innovation in Surface Transportation Best Practice 

Econolite 

Lakeview Avenue Overcrossing Orange County Transportation Authority 

On June 6, 2017, the Lakeview Ave. overcrossing in Orange County, California, officially 

opened to drivers. The overcrossing now routes vehicular traffic over Burlington Northern Santa 

Fe (BNSF) railroad line uninterrupted. It is the fifth of seven over-crossings and under-crossings 

the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) planned to improve the safety and travel 

time of thousands of residents along the corridor and rail line in the cities of Anaheim and 

Placentia, and to improve the freight operations that utilize the vital and heavily used rail line. 

Nearly 70 individual trains use the BNSF tracks 

daily, regularly blocking the way of drivers travelling 

north or south along the busy corridor. By 2030, 

OCT A estimates that 130 trains per day will use the 

rail line, creating more traffic congestion, emissions, 

and safety concerns without an overcrossing solution. 

Beginning in mid-2014, construction began on 

Lakeview Ave. to elevate and realign the corridor to 

separate car traffic from train traffic. In addition to 

increasing safety and reducing travel times, the 

overcrossing is also helping to reduce vehicle and 

freight emissions and noise. The overpass is between 

Orchard Drive to the north and Eisenhower Circle to the south. 

In conjunction with the overcrossing, a ramp was constructed connecting Lakeview Ave. to 

Orangethorpe Ave. As a result, North Bubach St. was rerouted to connect to the new Connector 

Road with a new signalized intersection. A new frontage road was built for local resident and 

business access, and another road also built at the southwest corner, which connects the new 

frontage road to Lakeview Ave. 

As part of the project, several intersections along Lakeview Ave. were upgraded with new 

NEMA traffic control cabinets and 2070 controllers. This provides the traffic management 

technology that enables programming of signals to help optimize traffic flow through the 

corridor. In addition, emergency vehicles and first responders, including ambulances, fire, and 

police are now able to respond more quickly and cross the rail line without interruption, which is 

critical for life-saving calls. 

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The OCT A is spending an estimated $63 5 million on the overcrossing and undercrossing 

projects that cross the BSNF rail line, and 

the Lakeview Overcrossing project is $70 

million. In addressing improved freight 

operations and emissions reduction, the 

Lakeview Overcrossing project received 

$7.8 million in CMAQ funding. 

The Lakeview Overcrossing project grand 

opening was supported by city officials of 

Anaheim, Placentia, including Placentia 

Mayor Craig Green, Yorba Linda Mayor 

Peggy Huang, and Anaheim Mayor Tom 

Tait- a few of the cities that are directly 

impacted by the Lakeview Ave. corridor 

and the BNSF rail overcrossing. The 

overcrossing project specifically targets and provides: 

Enhanced Safety for all roadway users (vehicle, pedestrians, bicyclists, transit, etc.) 

Quicker Emergency Response 

Elimination of Rail Crossing Delays 

Easier Commerce and Business Access 

Sustainable Economic Growth 

Reduced Vehicle and Freight Emissions 

Reduced Vehicle and Freight Travel Noise 

Improved Quality of Life 

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Intelligent Transportation Society of America 

Innovation in Surface Transportation Best Practice 

Southwest Research Institute 

ActiveiTS 

A leader in intelligent transportation systems, Southwest Research Institute (SwRi) has over 20 

years of experience developing, deploying, and maintaining small- and large-scale ITS systems. 

ActiveiTS is a proven and stable system, capable of obtaining 99.99%+ uptime-and can run in 

clustered virtualized and cloud-hosted configurations. 

System Functionality 

Key features of the Active ITS system 

include: 

• Event Management 

o Automated event 

management response 

plans for dynamic 

message sign (DMS) 

postings, email 

notification, traveler 

information alerts, 

highway advisory radio 

(HAR) messages, and 

more 

• Performance Measures 

o Archiving and reporting 

to enable performancebased oversight of event 

management operations, 

ITS field equipment 

maintenance, service 

patrol, and A TMS 

operations 

• Center-to-Center Connectivity 

o Interconnected operations for information sharing and control between traffic 

management centers 

• Integrated User Interface 

o Management of field devices, events, and other functions by an operator in a 

single integrated browser/map-based/application-based interface in a Windows 

environment 

State-owned Software 

By instilling a non-proprietary approach to ITS software solutions, SwRlleverages previous 

ActiveiTS software deployments as the baseline A TMS solution and then customizes 

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and enhances the system based on client requirements. SwRI's approach to develop once and 

deploy repeatedly provides clients additional cost value through efficiency as well as freedom to 

openly integrate all utilized ITS systems. States have spent about $95 million on Active ITS 

software over a period of20 years and approximately 50% of that has been federal money. 

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Intelligent Transportation Society of America 

Innovation in Surface Transportation Best Practice 

Texas A&M Transportation Institute and 

Virginia Tech Transportation Institute 

Implications of Truck Platoons for Roadside and Vehicle Safety Hardware 

Using automated and connected vehicle technology, truck platoons may operate in the future 

with spacing between vehicles as little as 50 feet. Researchers and students at the Texas A&M 

Transportation Institute (TTl) are examining how roadside safety devices, such as guard rail and 

median barriers, will react to an impact from a truck platoon. Researchers and students at the 

Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) are examining how crashes such as these would 

affect the occupants of the vehicle. The research will inform policy on truck platoon operating 

rules and roadside safety device standards. 

Finite Element Analysis is a computer modeling technique that uses mathematical computations 

of impact forces. Computer models of trucks are 

used that detail their weight and movement 

characteristics (See Figure I). Computer models 

of roadside hardware such as concrete median 

barrier is also used in these computations to 

assess the potential damage to the barrier and the 

truck when a collision occurs. The use of 

computer modeling allows many variables to be 

evaluated without the expense and time involved 

in crash testing actual vehicles. Simulations were 

run for two different styles of concrete median 

barrier (see Figure 2). 

Truck platooning will improve freight movement 

in an era of driver shortages and to increase fuel 

efficiency up to 12%. These trucks, however, are 

still susceptible to loss of control crashes due to 

hydroplaning and emergency braking. Roadside Figure 1 

hardware protects the occupants of the truck and 

vehicles in opposing lanes by redirecting errant vehicles back to the roadway. Federal and state 

highway safety improvement funds are used to install and maintain this roadside hardware. It is 

important to understand the effect that truck platoon crashes may have on this vital piece of 

infrastructure. This research project will identify which design of roadside hardware will best 

withstand multiple impacts and what damage will be caused to the hardware that will need 

repair. 

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This project will help prepare state and local agencies 

for the operation of truck platoons on their facilities. 

It will provide information for planning on future 

improvements and maintenance of roadside 

hardware. 

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Shailen Bhatt 

President and CEO 

The Intelligent Transportation Society of America 

1100 New Jersey Avenue, SE, Suite 850 

Washington, DC 20003 

www.itsa.org I @ITS_America 

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