House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Holds Field Hearings
Feb 28, 2011
Members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee including Chairman John Mica (R-FL) and Congressman James Lankford (R-OK) heard testimony from Larry Lemon, Chairman of Haskell Lemon Construction Company, in Oklahoma City last week. Mr. Lemon highlighted the concern our industry has regarding the unpredictability of highway funding with the current federal program operating under a series of short-term extensions. He urged timely enactment of a multi-year surface transportation reauthorization bill with dedicated and predictable levels of funding while encouraging Congress to eliminate unnecessary, duplicative, and non-transportation programs from funding under the Highway Trust Fund. Did you know that:
- The General Accountability Office has determined that about 32% of Highway Trust Fund dollars were diverted for non-surface transportation project.
- When the pay-as-you-go vehicle user fee was established in 1955, it was the same as the cost of a stamp, 3 cents. Today the user fee is 18.3 cents and a stamp will run you 44 cents.
Mr. Lemon also urged Congress to help support the rapid implementation of new technologies including higher RAP mixes and the further development of WMA. NAPA has set an industry goal of 25% RAP in asphalt pavements and for the majority of the industry’s asphalt tonnages to be warm mix asphalt within 3 years. Yet there remain 10 states that still do not allow for RAP in surface mixes. He concludes that the “increased use of RAP and warm mix asphalt in combination with other technologies will have a profoundly positive impact”. So, follow Mr. Lemon’s advice and see how Evotherm can help you implement higher RAP mixes and WMA on your projects!
Author: Heather Dolan
