ATSSA Signal Sept/Oct 2018

American Traffic Safety Services Association 4 Government Relations in terms of what those vehicles are going to need… we’re talking about sig- nage, we’re talking about what’s embed- ded in the pavement,” said Graves. “I want to grab all of this technology and be able to incorporate it into that next highway bill, and at the same time be able to solve the problem with the sol- vency [of the HTF].” As Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) gets ready to step down from his role as chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastruc- ture Committee, Graves is hopeful he can leverage his experience to fill that role. Graves said that his experience on the highway subcommittee, his family ties to railways, experience as a pilot, and dealing with waterways in his dis- trict make himuniquely qualified for the position. “I’ve been on the committee 18 years, and I bring that to the table. I think that gives me the qualifications [to lead in that role],” said Graves. When asked about what he sees on the horizon for funding as it relates to the industry, Graves shared that he sees more infrastructure funding coming in the federal budget over the next sever- al years. “Infrastructure is something the govern- ment should do and should do well… the United States—we’re a country that’s on the move—goods, people, services… andpeople like tohavegood, safe, smooth roads,” said Graves. ATSSA’s Vice President of Government Relations Nate Smith recently sat down with Rep. SamGraves (R-Mo.) to discuss the Highway Trust Fund (HTF), infrastruc- ture funding, and roadway safety. Graves represents Missouri’s sixth congressio- nal district, serving since 2001. Graves is the chairman of the House Highways and Transit Subcommittee in the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and a 2018 Roadway Safety Champion Award recipient. Earlier this year the White House re- leased its proposal for an infrastructure package, which is being considered and discussed by the Committee. According to Graves, there won’t likely be a bill to address infrastructure funding and el- ements of that proposal until after the November midterm elections, likely tak- ing place during the “lame duck” session at the end of 2018. But while the funding is still several months off, Graves did say that Congress is planning to work on long-term solven- cy for the HTF while addressing that package. “There are a couple of different schools of thought, but everything’s on the ta- ble [for funding the HTF]. Everything from a gas tax to VMT [vehicle miles traveled] and tolling,” said Graves. Graves expressed concerns with the re- gressive nature of the gas tax option, seeing it as a short-term fix for a long- term problem. “If we’re going to expend political capital —and it’s going to take a lot to get some- thing done—then I think we go ahead and pivot to something like the VMT,” said Graves. The role that the roadway safety infra- structure industry will play in the devel- oping landscape of Connected Autono- mous Vehicles (CAVs) is something that will factor into not only the infrastructure package, but the next U.S. highway bill, as the Fixing America’s Surface Transpor- tation (FAST) Act is set to expire in 2020. “Because of all of the changes in CAV tech- nology…we’ve got to be thinking ahead Congressman Graves talks infrastructure, CAVs & the Highway Trust Fund Top of facing page: Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.) accepted the Roadway Safety Champion Award earlier this year from ATSSA Chair Juan Arvizu during ATSSA’s Legislative Briefing & Fly-In. Rep. Sam Graves (R.-Mo.)