Survey Shows Voter Support for $580B Highway Bill as Deadline Looms
A new nationwide survey of 10,000 voters shows overwhelming bipartisan support for passing a $580 billion surface transportation funding bill before current authorization expires, ENR reports.
Market Impact
The survey, commissioned by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) and conducted by Morning Consult, found 81% of respondents want Congress to act before the fiscal year ends on September 30. The pending reauthorization bill would fund highway and rail projects for five years, covering roughly 80% of financing for major transportation projects nationwide.
Speaking at a July 2 press conference, AGC CEO Jeff Shoaf said the bill’s fate now rests on a Congress that left Washington for a two-week recess and returns July 13 facing a packed legislative calendar before the August break. “We worry Washington will focus on bipartisan bickering rather than the difficult work of finishing, drafting, debating and passing a new surface transportation bill by the end of September,” Shoaf said. He noted the bill already cleared its House committee with bipartisan backing, which he believes gives it a real shot heading into the November midterms.
The survey also found 80% of voters want federal funding held at least at current levels, and 76% said they’d be more likely to support a member of Congress who helps pass the bill. Two AGC-backed provisions drew strong approval: a $130 annual federal road fee on electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles (68% support) and a requirement for advanced work zone safety features like barriers and speed cameras (75% support), aimed at what AGC calls the most dangerous roadway areas for workers. AGC has backed the push with a $2 million ad campaign, America’s Moving Forward, running in 12 states and generating 30,000 letters to Congress so far.
What It Means for Subcontractors
- Highway, bridge, and transit subcontractors including civil, paving, and traffic-control crews should expect project pipelines tied to this bill to stall if Congress misses the September 30 deadline, since it covers about 80% of major transportation project funding nationally.
- Work zone safety contractors and traffic control firms should prepare for potential new demand if the barrier and speed-camera requirements advance, since 75% of surveyed voters back mandatory advanced safety features at highway work zones.
- Fleet-related subcontractors and equipment operators running electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles should watch for a proposed $130 annual federal road fee on those vehicles, which could affect operating costs if included in the final bill.
- Firms bidding state DOT contracts should track the July 13 congressional return date and the pre-August recess legislative window, since that is the narrow timeframe AGC identifies for the bill’s passage before funding lapses.
- Subcontractors can use AGC’s America’s Moving Forward campaign, which has already driven 30,000 letters to Congress across 12 states, as a model for direct outreach to lawmakers on funding certainty ahead of bid season.
