2002 ARTBA Annual Report

In 2002, the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) joined that exclusive group, celebrating its Centennial Anniversary.
ARTBA Centennial Year highlights included:
– A record eight appearances before Congressional committees to present the association’s views on key transpottation policy issues. ARTBA’s appearance before the House Highway & Transit Subcommittee on July 16, 2002, will long be remembered as the first call by any national organization for raising the federal motor fuels user fee excise and then permanently indexing it for inflation as part of the 2003 highway/transit program reauthorization law. ARTBA’s proposed doubling of federal highway and transit capital investments by 2009—grounded on the government’s own needs assessments-set the target and focusing the dialogue for the ensuing debate.
– A special 1O0th Anniversary Gala Reception & Dinner event attended by nearly 600 transportation construction industry, government, business and media leaders in Washington, D.c. It raised $100,000 to permanendy endow the ARTBA Transportation Development Foundation’s (ARTBA-TDF) “Highway Worker Memorial Scholarship Program.” The scholarship provides grants to help rhe children of highway workers killed or permanently disabled on the job pay for their post-high school education. The evening was the most successful fundraising event ever held by the U.S. ttansportation construction industry. It also raised awareness of the impacts of transportation investment on the nation’s economy and quality oflife over the past century.
– The first-ever “National Conference on Transportation & the U.S. Economy,” which drew more than 200 economic and transportation experts to the Nation’s Capital for discussions on the important connections betWeen a healthy transportation netWork and a robust economy. The conference was co-sponsored by the U.S. Chamber Foundation and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.
– ARTBA leading the industry push to prevent an $8.6 billion proposed cut in federal highway investment for fiscal year 2003.
– More than 30 ARTBA-staged events across the nation to announce the “Top 100 transportation projects and public officials of the 20th century.”
– An ARTBA victory and landmark legal ruling in a Salt Lake City, Utah, lawsuit when a federal appellate court said that construction industry associations have a legal right to a seat at the table in environmentally-based litigation seeking to stop regional, state or local transportation plans. ARTBA’s involvement has helped move more than $40 billion in threatened transportation projects forward.