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Philosophy The Highway Users serves as a
respected advocate for the motorist and all who champion safe and efficient roads.
We don’t encourage people to drive and we don’t work to put more trucks on the
road. But when people choose to drive and their consumer demands require more
trucks on the road, we fight to ensure that the road is safe and uncongested.
In developing policy, we carefully consider the benefits to the motoring public
at all times. Major Initiatives: Focusing
Federal Policies to Reflect National Priorities Monitoring
Implementation of the Highway Bill Automobility
and the American Dream Saving Lives
with Safer Roads Presenting the
Urgent Case For Congestion Relief Preventing
Diversion of Highway User Fees
Focusing
Federal Policies to Reflect National Priorities The
Threat: The lack of a concise purpose for the federal program has enabled
special interest groups to successfully lobby for diversion of highway user fees
from projects of national significance. The
Highway Users Plan for 2008: - Prepare
early for new federal highway legislation by organizing a campaign to re-examine
the structure and priorities common in the ISTEA, TEA 21, and SAFETEA-LU transportation
bills.
- Promote the strategic value of an
enhanced National Highway System through lobbying and media visits.
- Elevate
attention to freight mobility as a critical element of international competitiveness
in a global economy.
- Advise members of
federal commissions examining the future of federal funding and the future of
the Interstate Highway System.
- Promote
nationally-focused, 21st century solutions to traditional highway needs.
Monitoring
Implementation of the Highway Bill The
Threat: Annual budgetary challenges make highway
funding a tempting target for funding cuts. The Highway Users remains vigilant
to ensure that Congress and the Bush Administration respect the guaranteed funding
levels set in law. The Highway Users Plan
for 2008 - Work with the Federal Highway
Administration, other federal agencies, congressional oversight committees, and
states to ensure that the guaranteed funding levels are budgeted and appropriated
and that all policy provisions from SAFETEA-LU are properly implemented.
- Weigh
in on the implementation of the new Highway Safety Improvement Program, rural
road safety program, statewide highway safety planning, and safety reporting requirements.
- Provide
written comments for the record on rulemaking and advisory guidance related to
the new environmental review process.
- Monitor
and report on both success stories and pitfalls from the implementation of new
and restructured toll pilot programs.
- Support
full implementation of innovative construction programs including Highways for
LIFE.
- Work with the Transportation Research
Board’s strategic highway research program team to keep The Highway Users aware
of cutting edge research on highway safety and materials.
Automobility
and the American Dream The Threat: Numerous
threats to automobility abound. Deliberate threats come from those who wish to
control the behavior of others. These campaigns include national or statewide
organized efforts to use taxes and regulation to increase the cost of fuels and
certain vehicles. The Highway Users Plan
for 2008 - Update and reorient our
well-regarded “Road to Congress” binder with a new version designed for the 2008
election campaigns, community and media use.
- Counter
negative perceptions about roads and vehicles by examining the case study of “Welfare
to Work.” Seek out joint efforts with other socialaction groups to present the
case that vehicle access provides the greatest chance for disadvantaged people
to share in the American dream.
- Publicly
expose the harm to typical Americans of legislative and regulatory efforts that
restrict vehicle choice, increase the cost of energy, or otherwise unfairly tax
motorists.
Saving Lives
with Safer Roads The Threat: The annual loss
of life on our nation’s highways has remained between 42,000 to 43,000 in recent
years. Crashes are the leading cause of death for Americans aged 3 to 34 and cost
society $7,300 per second. Yet many seem to accept these losses, perhaps numbed
by statistics difficult to comprehend or resigned to a feeling that this epidemic
is somehow unavoidable. Unfortunately, efforts of some safety groups to reduce
highway deaths ignore or discount the fact that poor roads are a major contributing
cause to fatalities and injuries.
The
Highway Users Plan for 2008
- Join
with partnering organizations for a major media campaign for “Safer Roads” in
up to ten states or media markets.
- Make
staff available to the Roadway Safety Foundation for educational and charitable
programs including:
- Active participation
or leadership of the U.S. Road Assessment Pilot program that will rate the safety
performance of roads in pilot states.
- Promote
roadway safety issues at AAA Aging and Mobility Workshops.
- Participate
in setting safety agenda for research organizations.
Presenting
the Urgent Case For Congestion Relief The Threat:
The growth in congested bottlenecks continues unabated. Yet government response
to the loss of mobility remains anemic. Instead of setting clear goals to improve
mobility, the current federal goal is simply to slow the growth of congestion.
The
Highway Users Plan for 2008
- As part
of efforts to re-examine the structure of the federal highway program, we will
promote changes to the CMAQ program by looking at case studies of its application.
We will also work with state and local governments and ask them to reconsider
their uses of CMAQ funds so that the goals of the program are better achieved.
Preventing
Diversion of Highway User Fees The Threat:
Diversion of highway user fees has increased remarkably in the past two decades.
By the end of the current decade, it is expected that the current user fee levels
will not support growth in the federal surface transportation program. The
Highway Users Plan for 2008 - Use
every lobbying and speaking opportunity to present the case that diversions harm
public support for highway user fees.
- Promote
programmatic reform as the price for our consideration of increasing gasoline,
diesel, and truck user fee increases.
- Support
efforts to crack down on fuel tax evasion and fraud
- Monitor
and evaluate state and local plans to build new toll roads and add toll lanes
to existing free roads. Work to ensure that such plans are a good deal for the
motoring public.
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