Traffic Safety

AAA Reacts to Rep. Paul Ryan’s Budget Proposal on Transportation

Statement by Kathleen Bower, Vice President of Public Affairs

more people driving as gas prices fall

WASHINGTON, D.C, (April 2, 2014) – “AAA agrees with Chairman Ryan that user fees should be a guiding principle of the Highway Trust Fund. User fees are deficit-neutral and provide predictable funding on which state and local transportation officials can rely.

“However, Ryan’s budget plan will not provide an appropriate level of investment necessary to build and maintain the nation’s 21st-century transportation system.  The significant cuts he is proposing will hamper investments in safety, further delay needed bridge improvements and hamper mobility in and around congested urban areas.

“The best solution for the near term would be a fiscally responsible proposal — such as increasing the federal gas tax coupled with improved accountability — that adds additional revenue to the Highway Trust Fund and helps make America globally competitive over the long term.”