American Highway Users Alliance

The American Highway Users Alliance (informally Highway Users, previously Highway Users Federation, National Highway Users Conference), is a non-profit advocacy group representing many businesses in the automotive and road construction sector. The organization, which was founded by General Motors and others in 1932, merged with the Automotive Safety Foundation and Auto Industries Highway Safety Committee in 1970.

American Highway Users Alliance
Non-profit organization
IndustryAutomotive, Lobbyist, Non Profit
Founded1932[1]
HeadquartersWashington, DC
Key people
Greg Cohen, President and CEO
Revenue$808,138 USD (2007)[2]
Websitehighways.org

It lobbies for sustained investment in the highway system and claims to have been "instrumental in the passage of virtually all major highway and traffic safety legislation over the past 75 years".[3] It argues that revenue from federal US fuel taxes should be used to fund major highway projects and programs. It publishes research proposals relating to specific highway improvement proposals and regular reports that highlight the most congested roadway bottlenecks in the country.

The organization advocates that strategic development of the highway system would reduce congestion, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve Road Traffic Safety.

Officers and directors

The following officials and roles were listed on organisation's IRS Form 990 in 2010. Other interests have been added referenced:

  • Norman Y. Mineta, Honorary chairman (United States Secretary of Transportation 2001-2006,[4] Hill & Knowlton 2006[5])
  • Bill Graves, Chairman (Governor of Kansas and president of American Trucking Associations[6])
  • Richard A. Coon, Vice Chairman (President and CEO of Recreation Vehicle Industry Association)
  • Thomas F. Jensen, Secretary (Vice President of UPS[7])
  • Roy E. Littlefield, Treasurer (Executive Vice President, Tire Industry Association, Vice President, National Capital Area Transportation Federation[8])
  • Gregory M. Cohen, President and CEO[9]

A further 18 directors are listed, including senior executives from: Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Toyota Motor North America, Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, Motor and Equipment Manufacturers Association, Recreational Vehicle Industry Association, Chevron, Lafarge North America Cement Division, CITGO Asphalt Refining Company and others.[2]

History

The organization was founded as the 'National Highway Users Conference' in 1932 by Alfred P. Sloan, Jr., then president of General Motors, and other industry leaders. Its aim was to advocate for funding of highways to be maintained during the Great Depression.[1]

The 'Automotive Safety Foundation' was founded in 1937.[10]

The organization financed the 'Auto Industries Highway Safety Committee' in 1947, subsequently renamed the 'Dealers Safety and Mobility Council'[10]

In 1970 the 'National Highway Users Conference', 'Automotive Safety Foundation' and the 'Auto Industries Highway Safety Committee' were merged to create the 'Highway Users Federation'.[11]

In 1995 the organization was renamed the 'American Highway Users Association'. In the same year the 'Automotive Safety Foundation' was renamed the 'Roadway Safety Foundation'.[10] The new President and CEO, William D. Fay, said that the organization would be "dedicated to more successful and aggressive issue advocacy" on behalf of the highway community.[12]

In 2004, Greg Cohen, formerly staff to the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee became the new President and CEO.

The AHUA lobbied for the TEA-21 highway and transportation bill in 1998, the SAFETEA-LU highway and transportation bill in 2005, the MAP-21 highway and transportation bill in 2012 and the FAST Act highway and transportation bill in 2015. It was member of the Global Climate Coalition which operated between 1989 and 2002 and which 'vigorously opposed' the Kyoto Protocol.[13] It was opposed to the American Clean Energy and Security Act in 2009 'dramatically raise the price of highway fuel through a hidden tax on the carbon present in the fuel'.[14]

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See also

References
  1. Historical Milestones, 1932 Alfred P. Sloan, Jr., then president of General Motors, and other industry leaders founded the National Highway Users Conference (NHUC) to work for good, all-weather roads in every state to “get the farmers out of the mud” and to protect highway funding sources from depression-born demands for new tax revenues.
  2. "Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (IRS Form 990)" (PDF). American Highway Users Alliance. 2007. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  3. Historical Milestones The Highway Users and its predecessors have been instrumental in the passage of virtually all major highway and traffic safety legislation over the past 75 year
  4. "Norman Mineta, Former Transportation Secretary, to be 2007 Commencement Speaker". ucla. Archived from the original on 2010-12-24. Retrieved 2010-10-28.
  5. "U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta Joins Hill & Knowlton". Hill & Knowlton. 2006. Archived from the original on 2006-07-17. Retrieved 2010-10-28.
  6. "Bill Graves, ATA President & CEO". American Trucking Associations. Archived from the original on 2011-01-02. Retrieved 2010-10-28.
  7. "Testonomy of Thomas F Jensen" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-09-08. Retrieved 2011-09-02.
  8. "ROY E. LITTLEFIELD, Ph.D." Retrieved 2010-10-28.
  9. "Greg Cohen". LinkedIn. Retrieved 2010-10-28. Greg Cohen’s Summary Licensed Professional Engineer Registered lobbyist - federal govt. & Congress Greg Cohen’s Specialties: Lobbying, media relations, grassroots organization, association management. Professional Staff House T&I Committee (Transportation/Trucking/Railroad industry) 2000 — 2002
  10. Historical Milestones page 1
  11. Historical Milestones, The Highway Users Federation was formed by the merger of the Automotive Safety Foundation (ASF), National Highway Users Conference (NHUC), and the Auto Industries Highway Safety Committee
  12. Historical Milestones,Under the leadership of then President and CEO William D. Fay, The Highway Users was reorganized and dedicated to more successful and aggressive issue advocacy on behalf of the highway community.
  13. Dauncey, Guy; Mazza, Patrick (2001-01-01). Stormy weather: 101 solutions to global climate change. New Society Publishers. p. 174. ISBN 0-86571-421-5. American Highway Users Alliance global climate coalition.
  14. "What Other Industries Are Saying About the Waxman-Markey Climate Bill". National Petrochemical & Refiners Association. Archived from the original on 2011-02-06. From a June 24, 2009 Legislative Alert issued by the American Highway Users Alliance (emphasis added): “The Waxman-Markey cap-and-trade bill will dramatically raise the price of highway fuel through a hidden tax on the carbon present in the fuel. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that this bill will raise the price of gasoline by 77 cents over the next decade. And unlike a traditional fuel tax increase, none of the revenue raised will be spent on highways.”
Sources
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