(This letter was sent to every member of Congress.)

June 19, 2001

The Honorable Daniel K. Akaka
141 Hart Senate Office Building
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510-1103

Dear Senator Akaka:

With the recent third anniversary of the enactment of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21^st Century (TEA 21), we write to thank Congress for its longstanding commitment to federal investment in highway and transit infrastructure.

On the economic front, it is clear that transportation investment supports the economy both directly and indirectly. Indeed, studies show for each $1 spent on roads or transit, $6 of benefits are realized in reduced congestion, improved highway safety, reduced road and vehicle maintenance costs, and related transit benefits.

Capital investment is allowing major rehabilitation and improvement of our nation’s highways and bridges. Transit service expansion and innovation has triggered ridership increases of more than 20 percent in the last five years, and new ridership records are being set in each succeeding quarter. Operations initiatives, including better incident management and work zone management, supported by new Intelligent Transportation System applications, are improving traffic flow as well as safety.

The increased investment made possible through TEA 21 is maintaining the current physical condition of our highway and transit infrastructure, but still falls short in supplying adequate capacity to accommodate growing mobility and infrastructure needs. Investment at the federal, state, and local levels has focused on the preservation and maintenance of the existing surface transportation system. As a result, federal funding for highway and bridge improvements, rail transit modernization, and bus replacement has begun to reverse the trend of deterioration in the condition of highway and transit assets.

The promise of TEA 21, however, will only be realized if Congress continues to reject the call of some to repeal or roll back part of the federal motor fuels excise. Any reduction in this user fee would result in a significant loss in transportation benefits.

In short, while TEA 21 is bringing significant benefits to individuals, businesses and communities across the country, much work remains to be done! Recent U.S. Department of Transportation reports document the growing surface transportation system needs which will require increased investment to enable the performance of the nation’s surface transportation system to keep pace with growing demand.

We look forward to working with you to ensure the full implementation of TEA 21 in its remaining years and its reauthorization in 2003.

Sincerely yours,

American Portland Cement Alliance
American Public Transportation Association
American Road and Transportation
Builders Association
Associated General Contractors of America
Construction Industry Manufacturers Association
National Asphalt Pavement Association
The Road Information Program