Federal funding for roads, bridges, and transit is set to go over a fiscal cliff this summer. The Highway Trust Fund spends over $40 billion annually to repair and modernize roads, bridges, and transit systems in every state across the country. This revenue comes from a motor fuels user fee that has not been raised since 1993. Simply, we are trying to fund a 2015 transportation system on 1993 dollars. Given this untenable formula, when the Fund finally becomes insolvent, there will be no new highway and transit investment if Congress fails to act.

The truth is that American families and businesses are already paying for our inadequate infrastructure. The more time we sit in traffic, the more we spend on gas. The longer it takes a package to get across the country, the higher the price. The problem is not on the horizon, the problem is here. The American Society of Civil Engineers estimates that deficient, unreliable surface transportation infrastructure will cost the average American family over $1,000 a year through 2020 as they earn less and pay more for transportation and repairs.

Congress has had nearly 10 months since the last extension of the transportation programs and all the necessary information to finalize a long-term Highway Trust Fund solution. Yet, we are right back to the same problem with the same calls for another temporary measure. There are no short-term fixes for the nation’s ailing roads, bridges and transit systems.  It is time for Congress to enact a long-term plan to deliver the mobility American businesses and families need. It is time to #FixTheTrustFund!