Mountain State Times

U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito, who chairs the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, recently led a hearing focused on assessing the implementation of surface transportation policies under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). The hearing aimed to gather insights from stakeholders on both the successes and challenges encountered during the IIJA's rollout.

During the session, Chairman Capito inquired about which aspects of the IIJA had proven most beneficial and which posed significant challenges. Russell McMurry, Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Transportation representing the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), highlighted that "the greatest benefit comes from what we consider the core formula programs," such as the National Highway Priority Program and Surface Transportation Block Grant Program. However, he also noted that some new programs presented challenges due to their dynamic nature.

Gary Johnson, Vice President at Granite Construction speaking for the Transportation Construction Coalition, acknowledged that "the greatest benefit is the amount of money coming down the formula funding." He pointed out initial delays in fund allocation but recognized subsequent improvements in state-level funding distribution.

Johnson also commented on the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program's efficiency. He remarked that although "$1.8 billion had been released for that program," it only resulted in 58 chargers being built across 15 states over three and a half years. This raised questions about whether NEVI exemplified efficient federal government processes.