text: Unlike general contractors that build a variety of products, WTBA members tend to be specialty contractors who excel in one of these areas:
  Aggregate production
  Asphalt paving
  Bridge building
  Concrete paving
  Earthmoving
  Specializing in a specific area of transportation construction allows WTBA members to build quality infrastructure in the most efficient manner – providing value to the taxpayers of Wisconsin.
  According to the Federal Highway Administration, every $1 billion invested by state governments in highway construction and improvements will support a total of 27,823 jobs. This includes:
  9,537 on-site construction jobs
  4,324 jobs in industries that either directly or indirectly supply materials and services needed for the construction projects
  13,962 jobs supported when those employed at the construction site or in supplier industries spend their incomes
  Click here for the Department of Workforce Development’s projected change in construction employment to the year 2020.
  State Funding
  Wisconsin has a 2-year budget process with each new fiscal year beginning on July 1. The process starts with agency budget requests submitted in the fall of each even-numbered year.
  The Executive budget proposal is introduced in February of odd-numbered years, followed by legislative consideration and enactment in the spring and summer.
  The 2015-17 budget was signed on July 13, 2015, and covers state expenditures until June 30, 2017.
  Click here for a comparative summary of the 2017-19 Transportation Budget, as introduced by the Governor, amended by the Legislature and signed into law.
  Federal Funding
  Federal funds account for approximately 25% of Wisconsin’s annual transportation budget, with the vast majority invested in highway and bridge capital improvements.
  The vast majority of federal funding is generated by the federal fuel tax, which is 18.3 cents per gallon on gasoline and 24.4 cents per gallon for diesel fuel. Other sources of revenue include a 12% truck sales tax paid by retailers, a heavy truck use tax paid by vehicle owners and a truck tire tax paid by manufacturers.
  The federal fuel tax has not increased since 1993.
  Distribution of federal funding is governed by a two-step process: Authorization and Appropriation.
  Authorization is the process by which Congress and the President allow the federal government to collect taxes and spend it for a specific purpose. These are normally multi-year bills that establish program policies, funding formulas and annual spending caps for individual programs. For example, the 2012 authorization bill – known as the “Moving Ahead for the Progress in the 21st Century, or MAP-21 — allows the federal government to invest in highways, bridges and mass transit. MAP-21 is scheduled to expire at the end of October 2015.
  Appropriation is the process by which Congress and the President pass annual spending bills for discretionary programs for the federal fiscal year, which runs from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30. The President introduces an executive budget proposal for the upcoming fiscal year in February, after which the House and Senate must pass identical versions of the bills before submitting them to the President to be signed into law or vetoed. A program must first be authorized in order to receive an appropriation.
  Industry Links
  National
  The National Stone & Gravel Association
  www.nssga.org
  The National Stone & Gravel Association is a trade association representing the interests of sand, gravel and crushed stone producers internationally. Its Web site offers information on government issues affecting the industry, calendar of events and seminars.
  American Society of Transportation Engineers
  www.highwayengineers.org
  The ASTE “promotes the quality planning, design, construction, maintenance and operation of safe and efficient highways.” Its Web site provides a basic range of content including the Scanner Newsletter, which features articles of interest on highway construction and trends affecting the industry.
  American Underground-Construction Association
  www.auca.org
  The AUCA’s Web site explores the development and use of underground facilities worldwide. Visitors will find an extensive membership directory, national and international industry news, an events calendar and a section titled Project of the Month, which showcases innovative underground projects. Past projects are archived for later viewing.
  Associated General Contractors (AGC) of America
  www.agc.org
  Contractors will find the AGC’s Web site’s Core content areas include: Constructor Magazine information on legislative activities, education and training, safety issues and labor and human resources. Members have access to a wider range of materials such as Davis Beacon Bulletins, Environmental Bulletins and special publications like Human Resources & Labor News, Construction Business Computing and Market Division News & Bulletins.
  ARTBA
  www.artba.org
  ARTBA’s website includes updates on federal legislation and regulations, news on their advocacy efforts on behalf of the transportation building industry, and the online Buyer’s Guide and Transportation Construction Safety Products Guide.
  AASHTO
  www.aashto.org
  This site provides online access to AASHTO’s Weekly Transportation Report, and to the weekly AASHTO Regulatory Monitor. It describes AASHTO’s numerous programs and services, and meetings and events, and includes a bookstore for transportation publications.
  Institute of Transportation Engineers
  www.ite.org
  The Institute of Transportation Engineers is an international organization of transportation professionals that dedicates itself to providing its members and the public with information on “safe and efficient surface transportation through planning, designing, implementing, operating and maintaining surface transportation systems worldwide.” Its Web site offers an array of materials from educational resources and publications to technical documents and transportation analysis papers.
  Statewide
  Department of Workforce Development (DWD)
  www.dwd.wisconsin.gov
  This site gives you information about the Department’s labor law administrative activities. Click on the “Information and Services for Employers” link to get information about unemployment insurance, worker’s comp, recruiting assistance, taxes, health and safety, and business development. It includes a link to the Wisconsin Business Resource Network and to Department publications.
  Highway Technician Certification Program (HTCP)
  www.uwplatt.edu/htcp
  HTCP provides the training and certification required by DOT Quality Management Program (QMP) specifications.
  Government
  Bureau of Transportation Statistics
  www.bts.gov
  The focus of the BTS, an operating administration of the Department of Transportation, is to show statistics related to the nation’s transportation systems and their effects on the public. Within the site are statistics on all types of transportation methods, including air, ground, water and space and so on.
  Federal Highway Administration
  www.fhwa.dot.gov
  This site offers information related to federal highway projects.
  Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
  www.eeoc.gov
  For information about employment discrimination and how to prevent it, visit the EEOC website. It includes links to the EEOC Technical Assistance Program, small business information page, and facts about enforcement and litigation.
  U.S. Department of Labor (DOL)
  www.dol.gov
  The DOL website has abundant information about legislation and regulations, statistics, and programs and services. The Elaws service (Employment Laws Assistance for Workers and Small Businesses) is a series of individual Advisors designed to help you understand your rights and responsibilities as an employee or employer. Click on the “DOL Agencies” button to get to links for OSHA and MSHA.
  U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT)
  www.dot.gov
  DOT’s website provides extensive information about national transportation policy, and the activities of the Department’s administrations, such as the Federal Highway Administration. It includes information about legislation and regulations, safety issues, new technologies, and a Life-Long Learning Center dedicated to ongoing adult transportation education.
  U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
  www.epa.gov
  This site provides information about federal environmental protection activities. Sections include regulations and federal register notices, publications, projects and programs, office locations and contacts, and databases such as the Environmental Data Registry and Envirofacts.
  Industry
  Wisconsin Asphalt Pavement Association
  www.wispave.org
  Wisconsin Asphalt Pavement Association (WAPA) is a Wisconsin Non Profit association representing the interests of the Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) industry in Wisconsin. WAPA has 20 hot mix asphalt producer members and more than 80 associate members.
  Asphalt Contractor Magazine
  www.asphalt.com
  Visitors can access articles from Asphalt Contractor Magazine, search national product and vendor guides and join in online discussion groups on topics related to the industry.
  Asphalt Institute
  www.asphaltinstitute.org
  This U.S.-based association represents international petroleum asphalt producers, manufacturers and affiliated businesses. Mission is “to promote the use, benefits and quality performance of petroleum asphalt, through engineering, research, and educational activities, and through the resolution of issues affecting the industry.” Membership has its privileges here, but the site does provide some free content including hot topics, worldwide meeting calendars and environmental impact reports.