Mark Compton, CEO of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, Harrisburg, Pa., was in Washington, D.C., for the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association’s (IBTTA) Washington briefing, March 29 to 31. During the two-day briefing, Compton and 100 other U.S. transportation leaders attended educational workshops, and visited members of Congress to discuss the IBTTA’s top legislative priorities.

These priorities included reauthorization of the federal-aid highway program addressed in the MAP-21 legislation (Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act) set to expire in May 2015; greater flexibility for states to fund their transportation needs; the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act; and IBTTA’s progress on national interoperability for electronic toll collection.

“With MAP-21 set to expire in just five weeks, Mark’s visit to Capitol Hill couldn’t be more timely,”said Patrick D. Jones, executive director and president of IBTTA. “This is a pivotal moment for IBTTA and everyone who is concerned about our nation’s failing roads and bridges. Mark will be a valuable member of IBTTA’s delegation as we share our concerns and our solutions with those on Capitol Hill.”

IBTTA’s Washington briefing also featured top elected and government officials such as Greg Nadeau, acting administrator, Federal Highway Administration; Rep. John Delaney (D-Md); Peter Norton, University of Virginia Engineering — Center for Transportation Studies; Alex Herrgott, deputy staff director, Senate committee on environment and public works; Colin Peppard, legislative assistant to U.S. Sen. Tom Carper; and Mary Phillips, senior professional staff member, House subcommittee on highways and transit.

These experts joined IBTTA leaders to discuss the public, media and policymaker perceptions of tolling; state and county innovations in surface transportation funding; new technologies that are revolutionizing the traditional transportation payment and delivery process; and other key topics in surface transportation funding and policy.

“This is a very critical time to visit Capitol Hill and talk to key members of the Pennsylvania delegation,” said Compton. “I look forward to a productive exchange of ideas with members of Congress and their staff, and the opportunity to provide them with information that clearly demonstrates the pressing need to fix our nation’s surface transportation infrastructure.”

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