A $600B spark for America’s economic engine

OPINION:

Looming before Congress is a major domestic policy objective that must pass in just a few months with a number big enough to propel — and sustain — a prosperous future for the United States of America.

With the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act (IIJA) expiring Sept. 30, Congress must act immediately to introduce a successor package. And that package must represent a critical investment: $600,000,000,000.

That’s a lot of zeros. But debating the level of investment is not dependent on party or politics. It’s simply what the job calls for at this crucial time.

$600 billion for roads supports community-focused American companies.

$600 billion for roads secures quality, local, meaningful American jobs.

$600 billion for roads provides economic growth across this great country.

$600 billion for roads improves public safety for workers, drivers, schoolchildren, and emergency responders.

$600 billion doesn’t just patch roads or expand capacity. It fuels America’s economic engine.

The 5-to-1 return on asphalt roads

Federal investment in surface infrastructure provides real-world economic impacts and a positive return on investment.

According to the American Public Works Association, every dollar invested in transportation returns roughly $5 in economic benefits, and every $1 billion invested in surface transportation supports about 13,000 jobs. Meeting this moment could support nearly 8 million jobs and generate a $3 trillion economic boost.

The Congressional Budget Office agrees, boasting that federal infrastructure investment would boost private-sector productivity due to more efficient freight corridors.

Protecting the 70 mph ’office’

This investment also impacts safety — for those inside vehicles and those maintaining our roadways in ’offices’ alongside 70 mph traffic.

The American Society of Civil Engineers Infrastructure Report Card last year gave U.S. roads a D+, adding that more than 40% of major U.S. roads are in poor or mediocre condition shortcomings that cost drivers $1,400 per year in wasted time and additional operating costs. While that alone is shocking, the potential impact on lives and livelihoods is even more so.

Most of us take for granted the men and women on the other side of orange cones and barrels who work tirelessly to build and maintain our roads. It’s no small task for them: navigating machinery, variable environmental conditions and drivers of all skill levels. When those drivers are distracted or feel inconvenienced by road closures or traffic delays, roadworkers bear the risk.

That’s why NAPA strongly advocates for work zone safety (WZS) policy and funding as part of reauthorization.

NAPA leads on WZS initiatives, from our annual Watch For Us campaign discouraging distracted driving to free crew safety training to advocating for federal funds for increased job site safety measures.

Put simply, we desire funding flexibility to deploy the proven strategies and newest technologies that help protect workers and ensure that road maintenance projects can be implemented efficiently, effectively, and without harm.

Unfortunately, work zone incidents have climbed, spurring a rise in work zone fatalities, according to the National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse. The upcoming reauthorization must have meaningful impact to mitigate these troubling trends and ensure everyone makes it home safely.

This starts with readily funding and dispersing the Work Zone Safety Contingency Funds we worked so hard to include in IIJA. These funds will better equip state departments of transportation to partner with contractors. Additionally, NAPA is working with Hill offices to introduce a legislative mandate for WZS training for all new drivers.

NAPA is not alone in this push. WZS is endorsed by a coalition of infrastructure trade associations — because the impact is clear to all of us: more safety resources protect lives and encourage better driving habits.

States need federal partnership

Congress has not added any new revenues or user fees into the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) since 1993 — a reality that has severely limited the HTF’s effectiveness and long-term solvency. Meanwhile, states have attempted to fill the void with gas tax increases, vehicle registration fees, bonding and tolling programs and other items to generate revenue for their projects.

But most states cannot carry the costs of maintaining millions of miles of roads, highways and bridges.

While state leadership is commendable, it has led to a fragmented, inequitable national network: one in which quality and safety are overly reliant on a state’s fiscal capacity, rather than national continuity. This patchwork approach does substitute for a cohesive federal surface transportation program.

Congress must act now on reauthorization to restore the federal government’s proper role as a full partner in building and maintaining a nationally connected roadway system. And Congress must prioritize state formula funding to ensure state agencies are best equipped to maximize federal investment into local projects.

The $600B package we need now

The House is in the final drafting stages of what should be a traditional surface transportation reauthorization package, focusing on the five key surface programs within the HTF: roads, bridges, highways, rail and transit. Limiting the package to these traditional transportation projects while fully funding it at $600 billion directly addresses our network’s maintenance needs, invests in high-volume and freight corridors and expands roadway capacity where needed.

Major legislative wins last year — including the Big, Beautiful Bill tax reconciliation package and permitting reform packages like the PERMIT & SPEED Acts — help asphalt producers and contractors reinvest in their employees and equipment, following clear and consistent federal and state programs to deliver projects on time and on budget.

But without passing a robust surface transportation reauthorization package this year, we will fall short of leveraging these key legislative wins and maximizing America’s full economic potential. NAPA continues to work with Congressional stakeholders on passing this reauthorization package immediately, because we’re eager to support the critical work that benefits American companies, workers, drivers, and families.

• Nile Elam is vice president for Government Affairs at the National Asphalt Pavement Association, which represents the interests of asphalt mixture producers, contractors, suppliers, and consultants to advance asphalt pavements as an essential part of sustainable transportation infrastructure that paves the way for thriving communities and commerce.