The nation’s top highway official is optimistic Washington can make progress on a new funding plan for transportation infrastructure in 2020. Federal Highway Administrator Nicole Nason explains the Trump Administration’s view of the on-going fe

A Gift from Congress

Dec 5th, 2019 22m 15s

Brandye Hendrickson, Deputy Director of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, discusses the impact of the decision on infrastructure work, and her organization’s focus on highway safety concerns.Links:President

The Road Ahead

Nov 27th, 2019 18m 50s

Washington may be focused with impeachment, but there's another "I" word that also warrants our attention. That's "I" for infrastructure. Are we on the road to nowhere, or is there hope for the future of surface transportation in America? Tanya

When the Levee Breaks

Nov 20th, 2019 21m 5s

There are 90,000 dams in the U.S. across 44 states. Just over 1,600 of them pose potential risks, according to a recent Associated Press investigation. Risk and water levels are only rising as we see more extreme rainfall amidst intense storms

The Future of the Interstate

Nov 13th, 2019 24m 16s

It is no secret that America’s worn out interstate highway infrastructure has surpassed its intended shelf life. Our current highway system can’t keep up with increasing severe weather events and rising levels of congestion. Infrastructure inve

Reading Economic Tea Leaves

Nov 6th, 2019 24m 11s

Interest rates. Public sector investment. Jobs. Tariffs. Consumer confidence. These and other factors weigh on the minds of economists sorting through the tea leaves that are leading indicators of spending, orders for manufactured goods, and go

More Transportation Dollars? Just Say No!

Oct 30th, 2019 29m 44s

Groups come from all over America to ask Congress and the Administration for more money. The needs are many and the dollars few, so the push, often times, is intense. The federal government plays a key role in so many initiatives across all 50

Emergency Weather Advice

Oct 23rd, 2019 23m 27s

Emergency managers know what it takes to recover from natural disasters. That’s why they’re telling states, counties, and cities to act now to prepare for storms, wildfires, and other calamities. David Paulison, the longtime chief of Miami Dade

How to Overhaul Federal Funding Plans

Oct 16th, 2019 28m 3s

Washington is mesmerized by discussions of the spending that could be included in the next transportation reauthorization. Observers for more than a year have speculated about dollar amounts, paying little or no attention to the formulas that s

Transportation Dollars Move the U.S. Economy

Oct 9th, 2019 22m 41s

Just how much impact does transportation spending have on the U.S. economy? The influential Business Roundtable, a Washington, D.C.-based organization representing the CEOs of America’s top corporations, aimed to answer that question when it re

Resilient Policy Ideas

Oct 2nd, 2019 31m 25s

While work on the next surface reauthorization bill is still in its early stages, many see it as an opportunity to push for policies that would encourage resiliency, changing the way we plan, design, fund, and maintain facilities.The goal is to

Congress Weighs Concrete Bills

Sep 25th, 2019 25m 8s

Climate and resiliency are hot topics in Washington and New York this week, with a second hearing on the subject in D.C. tomorrow and world leaders discussing the issue, among others, at United Nations meetings through Friday.Last week’s House

BREAKING: Congress Hears Testimony on Industry Emissions

Sep 18th, 2019 15m 58s

A House panel in Washington, D.C. today heard from the cement and concrete industry about steps needed to improve industrial emissions. Dr. Jeremy Gregory, Executive Director of the MIT Concrete Sustainability Hub, testified before a subcommitt

Inside the Infrastructure Report Card

Sep 11th, 2019 23m 26s

Not a day goes by without someone reminding us that our roads, bridges, and other transportation facilities get a failing grade from America’s civil engineers. You probably know the grade, because it’s quoted in almost every story on the topic.

Concrete Keeps Its Cool!

Sep 4th, 2019 18m 27s

A recent guest column published in Time Magazine missed the mark in its criticisms of concrete as a building material. While concrete is known for its ability to reflect heat, the author, who also happened to be promoting a book, claimed otherw

Ready to Mix it Up!

Aug 28th, 2019 19m 18s

With Congress still away on summer vacation, we’re taking stock of the people who make up the cement and concrete industry. A few months ago we profiled several members of the North American Concrete Alliance. But we didn’t get to all of them b

It’s all about the Benjamins!

Aug 21st, 2019 17m 20s

The excitement over Senate EPW committee passage of a bill addressing surface transportation needs remains, but the reality is the unanimous vote to move the plan before the August break is only one step in a very long process, with the Finance

States: Senators Pass 1st Test

Aug 14th, 2019 22m

States plan, design, build, and help fund the nation’s infrastructure. So how are they feeling about the Senate’s first attempt at a six-year reauthorization plan?We posed that question to this week’s guest, Carlos Braceras, President of the A

We Have a Surface Bill!

Aug 7th, 2019 19m 27s

It’s been a little more than a week since the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee delivered on a promise to unveil and pass America’s first look at the next national surface transportation reauthorization bill.The bill, America

Weather: There’s an Impact!

Jul 31st, 2019 18m 30s

Weather is always a consideration when engineers design, and contractors build, our nation’s roads and bridges. But it’s becoming a bigger issue as the climate we’ve known forever has begun to change and grow stronger with each storm event.Our

Building For Stormy Weather

Jul 24th, 2019 18m 59s

Weather is getting stronger. Damage from storms is greater. The costs to repair and rebuild are going higher. So how are we doing when it comes to changing the way we design and build infrastructure?We posed those questions to this week’s gues

Road Work Matters

Jul 17th, 2019 18m 47s

The looming presidential and congressional election cycle is often used as an excuse for inaction on a surface transportation spending bill, with some politicos predicting it’s almost too late to get anything done before the 2020 vote.That may

An Ounce of Prevention

Jul 10th, 2019 36m 49s

Everyone agrees that “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” But it took an Act of Congress last fall to encourage new thinking about spending on disaster mitigation.Pamela Williams, Executive Director of the Build Strong Coalition,

Giving Trump, Clinton Credit

Jul 3rd, 2019 28m 25s

Transportation financing made a splash during the 2016 Presidential campaign thanks to candidates Trump and Clinton. Since then, the topic has gained more prominence. Even though a deal has not been reached, Dave Bauer, President and CEO of the

Extension Inevitable

Jun 26th, 2019 22m 11s

With another presidential race gearing up, transportation reporters are now saying that a surface reauthorization extension is all one can hope for out of Congress next year. Frustration in Washington runs high as both sides have failed to find