Since the passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) in 2021, there has been significant growth in highway construction costs. Potential factors for cost escalations include supply chain disruptions, materials and inputs costs, labor market shortages, demand side increases, number of bidders on projects, state capacity and reliance on consultants, borrowing costs, regulatory costs, and higher quality projects.

In August 2025, the Eno Center issued a whitepaper entitled “Rising Construction Costs: Analyzing the Contributors to Cost Escalations and the Impact on Federal Transportation Infrastructure Investments,” exploring competing cost indices, long-term construction cost trends, contributing factors to cost escalations, the impact on federal infrastructure investments, and implications for future transportation funding.

This webinar will feature two speakers: Susan Howard, from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, and Dr. Alison Premo Black, from the American Road & Transportation Builders Association. The panelists will discuss how rising construction costs have impacted their members and how increased costs are influencing their advocacy efforts heading into surface transportation reauthorization.

Panelists:

Susan Howard is the Director of Policy and Government Relations at the American Association of State and Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO). At AASHTO, she serves as key liaison between state transportation departments, Congress, the U.S. Department of Transportation, and other national organizations. She has previously served as AASHTO’s Program Director for Transportation Finance and Program Manager for Freight. She has also previously worked as the Director of Government Relations for the National Association of Development Organizations, as the Federal Programs Coordinator for the North Carolina Department of Transportation, and as a Legislative Assistant on Capitol Hill.

Dr. Alison Premo Black is the Senior Vice President & Chief Economist at the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA). At ARTBA, she has led the development of over 100 studies on national and state transportation funding and investment patterns. She additionally oversees ARTBA’s membership development and relations and manages the Transportation Investment Advocacy Center program. Before joining ARBTA in 2000, Black worked as a researcher with the Embassy of the Republic of Korea and with the Organization of American States. She is regularly featured as an industry expert in national and local media and publications.

Moderator:

Grace Truslow, Policy Analyst, Eno Center for Transportation

The recording of the webinar is posted above. You can see the slides referenced in the webinar here.

Webinar Overview and Participants:

Advocates for pedestrian, bicycle, and transit programs have been responding to dramatic policy shifts at the US Department of Transportation this year. The Trump administration has changed regulations and executive orders, reduced agency staffing levels, terminated grant programs, and shifted funding priorities.

The American Public Transportation Association, Transportation for America, and America Walks have been educating officials at all levels of government about existing programs. They are also helping shape the debate in Congress as it considers reauthorizing the five-year federal transportation law, which expires in September 2026.

In this webinar, leaders from the three organizations will share their concerns, strategies, and hopes regarding federal transportation policies.

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Panelists:

Ward W. McCarragher

Ward McCarragher manages APTA’s lobbying efforts on federal legislative issues that affect the public transit and passenger rail industry on Capitol Hill. In that capacity, he oversees industry efforts on the federal budget, the annual appropriations process, multi-year surface transportation authorization bills, and security, tax, energy and environmental legislation and measures that affect public transit, commuter, and intercity passenger rail service, including high-speed rail.

Before joining APTA in 2018, McCarragher served as Chief Counsel for the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure for 20 years. In this role, he was directly involved in negotiating, drafting, and supporting each of the public transit and passenger rail titles of surface transportation authorization legislation, from the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA 21) to the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act).

Beth Osborne 

Beth Osborne is the Interim President and CEO of Smart Growth America. She was previously at the U.S. Department of Transportation, where she served as the Acting Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy and the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy beginning in 2009.

At USDOT, Beth managed the TIGER Discretionary Grant program, the secretary’s livability initiative, the development of the Obama administration’s surface transportation authorization proposal, and the implementation of MAP-21. Before joining USDOT, Beth worked for Sen. Tom Carper (DE) as an advisor for transportation, trade, and labor policy, as the policy director for Smart Growth America and as legislative director for environmental policy at the Southern Governors’ Association. She began her career in Washington, DC in the House of Representatives working as a legislative assistant for Rep. Ron Klink (PA-04) and as legislative director for Rep. Brian Baird (WA-03).

Mike McGinn 

Mike McGinn got his start in local politics as a neighborhood activist pushing for walkability. From there he founded a non-profit focused on sustainable and equitable growth, and then became mayor of Seattle. Just before joining America Walks, Mike worked to help Feet First, Washington State’s walking advocacy organization, expand their sphere of influence across Washington state. He has worked on numerous public education, legislative, ballot measures and election campaigns – which has given him an abiding faith in the power of organizing and volunteers to create change. He is delighted that his role at America Walks allows him to work with so many community leaders and champions across the country.