Mark Kennedy: “I would agree we need to give States more flexibility. First of all, Mr. Poole pulled his name off the letter the…”

“I would agree we need to give States more flexibility. First of all, Mr. Poole pulled his name off the letter the gentleman referred to when they saw the actual wording on our amendment. Second, value pricing would have more use, I am convinced, at the end of the 6-year road period under our amendment than under the existing language. We allow value pricing on existing toll roads. We allow value pricing on HOV to HOT conversions under our amendment, different than last year. And we would allow value pricing, congestion pricing on all new FAST lanes which we do not limit to three as the very highly restrictive draft put forth by the committee, but would allow an unlimited amount using value pricing if States so wish because we grant them that flexibility if it meets those simple criteria to honor the trust of the driving public. I appreciate very much the good work that AASHTO does, but I have never really viewed them as a highway-user organization; they are a highway building and constructing organization.”