AGC touts role of infrastructure to increase productivity and growth

Creating a highway program that meets America's mobility, safety and economic challenges is the theme of the Associated General Contractors of Am-erica's newly released publication for the reauthorization of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA 21).

The publication is titled "Securing America's Future: A National Commit-ment to Build a Highway System that Meets America's Mobility, Safety and Economic Challenges."

According to the organization, the recommendations call for a straightforward approach as a basis for reauthorization to improve and enhance the nation's highways.

"AGC members are proud to be building your quality of life and one of AGC's top priorities is preserving, protecting and enhancing our national transportation system.

The recommendations detailed in this report come at a crossroads in America. TEA-21 reversed a trend and was the initial down payment used to stop the deterioration of our nation's transportation system," said Stephen E. Sandherr, AGC chief executive officer.

Among the most significant items in the report is the AGC recommendation that the federal motor fuels tax be indexed to the Consumer Price Index in lieu of raising the gas tax.

Indexing the CPI would generate an estimated $900 million in additional funds, which would help meet the needs of the federal government, states and the industry as they grow due to inflation, the report said.

"We feel that indexing the gas tax will ensure that revenues coming into the trust keep pace with inflation and will provide economic growth and long-range transportation planning," said Sandherr.

Other recommendations include in-vesting the trust fund balances, capturing lost revenue from the ethanol tax break, eliminating fuel tax evasion, streamlining the environmental review process, allowing states to fund their priorities, eliminating funding sanctions, improving efficiencies of the federal-aid highway program, improving the safety of workers and highway work zones, and creating a 25-year national transportation and infrastructure development plan.

AGC is the largest and oldest national construction trade association in the United States.

It represents more than 35,000 firms, including 7,500 of America's leading general contractors, and more than 12,000 specialty-contracting firms.

The AGC Web site is www.agc.org.