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WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD), a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, introduced legislation intended to ensure that the nation’s highways and bridges receive the appropriate maintenance and repair to ensure safety and meet America’s transportation needs.

“Investing in our nation’s highways and infrastructure has been one the best federal investments we have ever made,” said Cardin, a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee. “Our nation’s highways are critical to growing our economy, and repairing and maintaining their quality is required to ensure the lasting efficiency and safety of our nation’s highways and bridges.”

The Preservation and Renewal of Federal-Aid Highways Act would:
• require the Secretary of Transportation to establish “state of good repair standards” for the various classes of federal-aid highways to serve as benchmarks of achievement for states to reach;
• require states to use an “Asset Management Process” to develop “State System Preservation and Renewal Plans” and “State System Preservation and Renewal Performance Targets” to ensure that their federal-aid roads achieve a state of good repair; and
• consolidate the Interstate Maintenance program, Highway Bridge program, and half of the National Highway System federal-aid highway programs funds to create a flexible System Preservation and Renewal Program Fund for the states to use as they see fit to meet the goals of their System Preservation and Renewal Plans and Performance Targets.