AASHTO Washington Briefing Focuses on FAST Act and Innovation

More than 300 transportation executives from across the country this week will attend the 2016 American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials Washington Briefing just blocks from the U.S. Capitol.

The Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act will be a primary focus of the four-day meeting. Keynote speakers on Wednesday, include some of the architects of the bipartisan legislation--Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee, and EPW's ranking member Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., as well as House Transportation and Infrastructure Ranking Member Peter DeFazio D-Ore. and Rep. Sam Graves R-Missouri, Chairman of the House T&I Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.

"Every year, our Washington Briefing plays an important role in bringing state and federal officials together to work on the issues they share," said AASHTO executive director Bud Wright.

"This year is especially significant," he added, "as our state agency CEOs begin allocating their first-year FAST Act funds and try to absorb new programs, and as Congress begins moving toward new legislation for aviation and water projects. State DOTs face a packed regulatory and legislative agenda, so our program gives them an intensive look at all those issues so the CEOs can decide how best to leverage federal opportunities to improve their transportation systems back home."

On Wednesday, a regulatory panel on implementation of the FAST Act and its predecessor MAP-21 will include top officials from the FHWA, Federal Railroad Administration, National Transportation Safety Board, Army Corps of Engineers and the Federal Transit Administration.

On Thursday, Tesla vice president Diarmuid O’Connell will discuss the latest developments in electric vehicle technology during a luncheon keynote address.