Statement of ARTBA President & CEO Pete Ruane Regarding President Bush’s State of the Union Address Proposal To Reduce Gasoline Consumption By 20% Over 10 Years

Washington, D.C. [January 24, 2007]—“The American Road & Transportation Builders Association applauds President Bush’s goal of wanting to reduce annual gasoline consumption by 26 billion gallons.

“According to the most recent Texas Transportation Institute “Urban Mobility Report,” Americans are now wasting 2.3 billion gallons of motor fuel annually sitting in traffic jams.

We could achieve 10 percent of the President’s goal by simply making the necessary capital investments to add highway and transit capacity and get America moving again.

“Transportation investments to reduce traffic congestion would, at the same time, yield many other tangible benefits, including making America more competitive in global markets, increasing productivity, and improving safety and mobility in times of national emergency or natural disasters.”

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