APWA Joins Coalition Letter to Congress on Surface Transportation Authorization

Sept. 4, 2025

The Honorable Shelley Moore Capito
Chairman
Committee on Environment and Public Works
U.S. Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510

The Honorable Sheldon Whitehouse
Ranking Member
Committee on Environment and Public Works
U.S. Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510

The Honorable Sam Graves
Chairman
Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515

The Honorable Rick Larsen
Ranking Member
Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Chairs, Capito and Graves and Ranking Members Whitehouse and Larsen:

Modern, safe, and efficient infrastructure is the backbone of American commerce and daily life. Recent investment in the nation’s roads, bridges, and public transit systems has enabled safety enhancements and mobility improvements across the country. While progress has been made, much work remains.

The undersigned organizations are united in commitment to work with Congress and the Trump administration to build on this progress and enact a new surface transportation law before the Sept. 30, 2026, deadline.

As your committees begin drafting this important legislation, we ask that the following principles guide your efforts:

1. Maintain Baseline Investment Levels for Highways, Public Transit and Multimodal programs: Highway, bridge, and public transit investment levels for Fiscal Year 2026 should, at minimum, be carried forward with inflation adjustments, regardless of the previous budgetary source of these programs. These investments are needed for safety enhancements, infrastructure rebuild, and congestion relief.

2. Maximize State Flexibility: The greatness of our nation is founded in the distinct attributes of all fifty states. An effective national transportation program must provide states the necessary flexibility and resources through formula funds to meet the unique needs of each community.

3. Prioritize Safety for All System Users: Increased investment and research should be directed at improving roadway, public transit, and work zone safety to ensure the traveling public and construction workers get home safely at the end of each day.

4. Reform Project Delivery to Accelerate Construction and Control Costs: Modernization of federal requirements can identify and eliminate challenges in the environmental review and permitting process that stand in the way of timely project delivery. Strengthening One Federal Decision to ensure its full utilization and creating a timely waiver process for Buy America while maintaining existing exemptions for certain construction materials will help ensure federal investment is focused on building transportation solutions, not process hurdles.

Together, these principles call for legislation that will help build a transportation system necessary to drive economic prosperity. Thank you for your leadership and continued commitment. We look forward to working with you to achieve these goals.

Sincerely,

American Road & Transportation Builders Association
Associated General Contractors of America
American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
American Trucking Associations
National Association of REALTORS®
National Retail Federation
National Industrial Transportation League
American Public Transportation Association
Consumer Brands Association
American Association of Railroads
Intermodal Association of North America
Associated Equipment Distributors
American Society of Civil Engineers
National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association
National Asphalt Pavement Association
American Concrete Pavement Association
AICC, The Independent Packaging Association
American Concrete Pipe Association
FCA International
Independent Lubricant Manufacturers Association
National Utility Contractors Association
North American Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers (NAFEM)
American Cement Association
Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute
Concrete Foundations Association
Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute
Asphalt Emulsion Manufacturers Association (AEMA)
Asphalt Recycling & Reclaiming Association (ARRA)
International Slurry Surfacing Association (ISSA)
National Electrical Contractors Association
Tire Industry Association
Service Station Dealers of America and Allied Trades
Airports Council International – North America
Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors National Association (SMACNA)
Design-Build Institute of America
Association of Equipment Manufacturers
American Public Works Association
American Council of Engineering Companies
American Institute of Steel Construction
National Demolition Association (NDA)
American Concrete Pumping Association
American Coal Ash Association (ACAA)
Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE)
Specialized Carriers & Rigging Association
FP2 (Formerly the Foundation for Pavement Preservation)
American Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSSA)
American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA)
American Galvanizers Association (AGA)
Energy Marketers of America
American Association of Airport Executives
Transport Workers Union of America
International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers
International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association
Essential Minerals Association
International Union of Operating Engineers
Laborers International Union of North America
Alliance for Automotive Innovation
National Association of Surety Bond Producers
National Tank Truck Carriers
National Lime Association
National Restaurant Association
American Highway Users Alliance

Cc: All House and Senate Members of Congress