ARTBA has put forward a bold new plan to “reform, refocus, restructure and refinance” the nation's federal surface transportation program as part of the next federal highway/transit investment bill, due in 2009.

ARTBA's “vision” calls for new transportation user fees to protect and upgrade past infrastructure investments and finance a 25-year “Critical Commerce Corridors” construction program to add needed multi-modal capacity across the nation to facilitate the safe and efficient movement of freight. 

The award-winning “Transportation Makes America Work!” or TMAW, campaign is the only comprehensive advocacy research, education and communications program aimed at building political support for ARTBA's plan and advancing the transportation construction industry's legislative agenda for the 2009 bill.

The goal of TMAW is not to change or shape the opinions of every American. It is to develop and execute an intense and sustained education program strategically targeted at a relatively small, yet immensely influential group of decision-makers and shapers:

• Members of Congress
• Congressional staff
• Top Executive branch and federal agency personnel
• Washington “Think Tanks”
• Washington media

ARTBA's aim is to develop transportation investment advocates within the ranks of these 1,500-2,000 people!

TMAW operates much like a political campaign.  Key tactics include:

• Conducting polling and focus groups to develop winning messages;
• Developing and mounting a creative print, internet and radio ad campaign “inside-the-Beltway” to deliver messages to key audiences;
• Launching an aggressive media relations program targeted at editorial page writers, columnists and radio talk show hosts;
• Publishing periodic economic and policy research publications that sell ARTBA's arguments; and
• Financially and intellectually backing broader coalition efforts aimed at increasing federal transportation investment in support of ARTBA's legislative objectives.