my point of view…

Industry Gets a Second Chance at Streamlining

During the last year, we’ve spent a lot of time focusing on current and future highway funding levels. But while we’ve scrutinized the ramifications of various funding levels, another measure that impacts the aggregates industry has slowly been gaining momentum. That’s good news because highway funding is only part of the equation. Equally important is the process of actually building roads and highways. As everyone involved in transportation construction knows, this can be a long, laborious process.
A recent report from the U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) indicates that between the time a project is identified until construction begins, there are as many as 200 major steps involved in developing a transportation project. In fact, the planning and construction process takes an average of nine to 19 years to complete. To reach completion, a project must first navigate its way through dozens of state and federal laws, including the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), its state equivalents, wetlands permits, and the Endangered Species Act. Quite simply, that’s entirely too long.
For years, the aggregates industry has worked with Congress to streamline the process. During the passage of TEA-21, legislators wrote section 1309 to facilitate more rapid completion of transportation projects, while complying with all appropriate federal and state standards. Unfortunately, the legislation was vaguely written, and several agencies denied its applicability to their role in the process.
Now we have a second chance to get it right. In September, Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska), chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, introduced H.R. 5455, the “Expediting Project Delivery to Improve Transportation and the Environment Act (ExPDITE).” As its name implies, the bill is designed to expedite the completion of high priority highway projects to reduce increasing congestion problems.
“The NEPA process is increasingly prone to gridlock. In some cases, the delay is necessary. In other cases, the delay results from deliberate stalling tactics by one or more participants in the process,” said John Horsley, executive director of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). Testifying before the U.S. House Highways and Transit Subcommittee, Horsley noted that “The ExPDITE bill contains many provisions that are consistent with the positions that the AASHTO Board of Directors has endorsed for reforming the environmental review process. We believe that a moderate, centrist approach, such as the one outlined in ExPDITE, is needed to streamline the process. It will protect the environment, preserve the public’s role in the process, and expedite project delivery.”
Transportation groups such as the National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association and the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) have also endorsed the bill. While the aggregates industry should continue to pursue increased funding levels, we should also support this initiative to get rock to the roads more expeditiously.

Therese Dunphy, editorial director
therese@aggman.com

November 2002 my point of view... Industry Gets a Second Chance at Streamlining				my point of view… Industry Gets a Second Chance at Streamlining During the last year, we’ve spent a lot of time focusing on current and future highway funding levels. But while we’ve scrutinized the ramifications of various funding levels, another measure that impacts the aggregates industry has slowly been gaining momentum. That’s good news because highway funding is only part of the equation. Equally important is the process of actually building roads and highways. As everyone involved in transportation construction knows, this can be a long, laborious process. A recent report from the U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) indicates that between the time a project is identified until construction begins, there are as many as 200 major steps involved in developing a transportation project. In fact, the planning and construction process takes an average of nine to 19 years to complete. To reach completion, a project must first navigate its way through dozens of state and federal laws, including the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), its state equivalents, wetlands permits, and the Endangered Species Act. Quite simply, that’s entirely too long. For years, the aggregates industry has worked with Congress to streamline the process. During the passage of TEA-21, legislators wrote section 1309 to facilitate more rapid completion of transportation projects, while complying with all appropriate federal and state standards. Unfortunately, the legislation was vaguely written, and several agencies denied its applicability to their role in the process. Now we have a second chance to get it right. In September, Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska), chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, introduced H.R. 5455, the “Expediting Project Delivery to Improve Transportation and the Environment Act (ExPDITE).” As its name implies, the bill is designed to expedite the completion of high priority highway projects to reduce increasing congestion problems. “The NEPA process is increasingly prone to gridlock. In some cases, the delay is necessary. In other cases, the delay results from deliberate stalling tactics by one or more participants in the process,” said John Horsley, executive director of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). Testifying before the U.S. House Highways and Transit Subcommittee, Horsley noted that “The ExPDITE bill contains many provisions that are consistent with the positions that the AASHTO Board of Directors has endorsed for reforming the environmental review process. We believe that a moderate, centrist approach, such as the one outlined in ExPDITE, is needed to streamline the process. It will protect the environment, preserve the public’s role in the process, and expedite project delivery.” Transportation groups such as the National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association and the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) have also endorsed the bill. While the aggregates industry should continue to pursue increased funding levels, we should also support this initiative to get rock to the roads more expeditiously. Therese Dunphy, editorial director therese@aggman.com