Reflections on Black History Month

2/28/2023

To the ACEC Community,

It’s always good to start the week with news of an advocacy win. Last Friday, FHWA Administrator Shailen Bhatt circulated new guidance on implementation of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Administration's priorities. The memo supersedes guidance published in December 2021 that was the subject of some confusion and concern. Issued shortly after passage of the IIJA, the earlier memo had expressed a preference for repair and maintenance over capacity expansion, encouraging states to prioritize projects that modernize the condition, safety, and operational efficiency of existing roads and highways before advancing projects that add new roadway capacity.
 
ACEC joined several industry stakeholder groups encouraging Administrator Bhatt to rescind the previous memo because it was outside the scope of the bipartisan law and infringed on the flexibilities afforded to State DOTs. This advocacy, along with pressure from congressional Republicans, moved FHWA to issue a revised guidance memo that acknowledges the authorities that states have in allocating highway formula funds. In the new guidance, Administrator Bhatt wrote that, “Different States have different needs when it comes to transportation assets that must be reconfigured and modernized, expanded and added, or retired and replaced. FHWA recognizes and values the authority and role of the States in deciding how to prioritize the use of their Federal-aid highway dollars and will continue to administer funds and programs consistent with all requisite statutory requirements and considerations.” He also reiterated the Administration’s goals for improving safety, strengthening resilience, and promoting equity in infrastructure investments.

Speaking of wins, today marks the last day of Black History Month, a time about so much more than history. We’ve spent this month celebrating the contributions and honoring the achievements of African Americans in our industry, and I want to close the month with some thoughts of my own.

Asked about her history-making refusal to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama city bus, Rosa Parks responded, “I had no idea that history was being made. I was just tired of giving up.” Black History Month is a testament to the power of persistence, the insistence of progress, and the invincibility of the human spirit. 

Black History Month may end today – but its spirit continues year-round. Every day for ACEC is an opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to building an organization as richly diverse as the communities we serve. So strong is that commitment that we have made it a key component of our long-range Strategic Plan. But Inclusion & Diversity is not just a box to check. It is a promise that we will work to create an environment where everyone can be themselves without fear – and an acknowledgment that the more skills, backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences we can bring to our efforts, the better we will be. There is still a road yet to travel on our DEI journey, but we have made some critical first steps that signal our commitment to making the long haul.

I once saw a coffee mug bearing “The Engineer’s Motto”: “If it isn’t broken, take it apart and fix it.” Much IS still broken in our society, but the fact is, we are uniquely positioned to help fix it and to do incredible good for our neighbors and our neighborhoods. Our continued success as an industry will be driven in part by our ability to see a societal need and to surface the solutions that meet that need. It is both our purpose and our privilege to improve our communities. Never forget that the people who change the world and make it forever better walk among us – because they ARE us. 

Have a great week,