KANSAS CITY, MO. — According to the latest America THINKS survey from HNTB Corporation, people are fed up with congested, crumbling roads and are looking for decisions from local and regional officials about how to prioritize fixing them. Many Americans are bothered by the condition of their highways, with slightly more than one in two (54 percent) having a problem with the poor road conditions and half (50 percent) saying these byways are too jammed.

 WASHINGTON – U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced $179 million for the state of California to continue building a statewide, passenger rail network with both high-speed and intercity service. Funding will kick-start several major projects throughout the state including the construction of new tracks, the purchase of next generation trains, and the installation of high-tech signaling systems.

 MARCO ISLAND, FLA. — Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Ananth Prasad unveiled the Florida Transportation Vision for the 21st Century in Marco Island. Speaking to the Florida Transportation Builders’ Association Annual Convention, Prasad outlined Governor Scott’s goals “to spur private-sector job creation and to get the economy growing by having the best transportation and infrastructure system in the nation.”

  WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) announced high-speed rail grants for two states to develop statewide rail plans as part of the Obama Administration’s efforts to develop an integrated passenger rail network. The Iowa Department of Transportation received $400,000 to develop a freight and passenger rail transportation model. The Nevada Department of Transportation received $640,000 to fund completion of the Nevada State Rail Plan.

 WASHINGTON, D.C. — A July 29 Obama Administration proposal to increase fuel efficiency standards for cars and light trucks to an average 54.5 miles per gallon (mpg) between 2017 and 2025 would result in the loss of more than $65 billion in federal funding for state and local highway, bridge and transit improvements, an analysis by the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) shows. The impact on the nation's transportation improvement program, ARTBA President Pete Ruane says, would be like eliminating all federal highway funding for nearly two years.