Editors’ Blog
Transportation secretary calls for long-term bill in committee hearing
Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx met with the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee on Jan. 28, calling once again for a multi-year highway bill. According to The Hill, Foxx said short-term extensions are eroding states’ ability to commit to road… Keep Reading
Frac sand market: Conflicting reports
Will the drop in oil prices affect the frac sand market in 2015? Optimists say no, but the impact may already be happening. A number of sources are reporting it's business-as-usual for frac-sand operations despite the price of oil. An… Keep Reading
Renewable energy for the aggregates industry
Like some other types of mining, change comes very slowly to the aggregates industry. Pick up a 1950s-era photo of an aggregates plant from our extensive photo archive, and unless a vehicle is in the shot to give a clue… Keep Reading
‘Built for It’ trials embody creative construction
Caterpillar has taken construction to the next level with its series of “Built for It” trials, where it demonstrates its equipment in challenging, unique tasks. Among the latest of these tasks was building the world’s tallest sand castle. A Cat… Keep Reading
Gas tax an option for top Republican leader
Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), the incoming Republican leader of the Senate Transportation Committee, says a gas tax increase is up for consideration. "I don't think we take anything off the table at this point," John Thune said on "Fox News… Keep Reading
Poll: Majority of Americans still oppose gas tax increase
Transportation advocates continue to lobby for a variety of potential solutions to address the shortfall in federal highway funds, but a gas tax increase remains unlikely to emerge as the solution to the funding dilemma. According to SKDKnickerbocker and Benenson… Keep Reading
Another state pursuing road-use highway funding system
The state of Oregon passed the first bill in the United States establishing a road use charge system for transportation funding last year. Now, the state of Washington is attempting to follow in its neighbor's footsteps. According to KING 5… Keep Reading
Congresswoman confident long-term infrastructure bill will be passed
A Republican congresswoman stressed on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" show that passage of a long-term transportation infrastructure bill will be a priority when the next Congress takes office in January. "As you think about building a healthy economy, we have a… Keep Reading
Reading their lips
As we detail in our State of the Industry report beginning on page 14, things are looking up for the aggregates industry heading into next year. Construction starts are on the rise, and aggregate production numbers are up, as well.… Keep Reading