The second annual Rally for Roads will be held March 20 in Washington, D.C. The rally is the result of efforts made by members of the transportation construction industry to help improve America’s infrastructure. Workers from all facets of the road construction industry and its suppliers will come together to try to impact federal transportation policies just 11 days before the current extension of SAFETEA-LU is set to expire.

Rally for Roads promotes the belief that a multi-year highway bill will stimulate economic growth, maintain our nation’s global competitiveness and above all, create American jobs.

In 2009 alone, transportation related goods and services contributed $1.2 trillion or 8.6 percent of the nation’s total GDP to the American economy, according to the House Committee on Transportation, yet 32 percent of America’s major roads are in poor or mediocre condition. Twenty-four percent of America’s bridges are structurally deficient or functionally obsolete. Rally for Roads is looking to change these statistics and get America’s infrastructure back on track.

The transportation construction industries have seen a 40 percent decrease in our workforce. According to the US Department of Transportation, for each $1 billion in federal highway investment accompanied by the state match, 34,779 jobs will be created. Passage of a multi-year, fully funded highway bill will jumpstart our economy and put our unemployed back to work, organizers said.

The rally will be held at 15th Street on the National Mall, between 14th Street NW and 15th Street NW. The event will begin at 11:00 a.m. For more information on attending, go to www.rallyforroads.com.

 

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