American Highway Users Alliance
Encyclopedia
The American Highway Users Alliance (informally Highway Users, previously Highway Users Federation, National Highway Users Conference), is USA 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.
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".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 It argues that all revenue from US fuel taxes
should be used to fund road projects. It publishes research proposals relating to specific highway expansion proposals and regular reports that highlight the most congested roadways in the country.
The organization advocates
that further development of the highway system would reduce congestion
, reduce greenhouse gas
emissions and improve Road Traffic Safety.
in 2010. Other interests have been added referenced:
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.
, 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
.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.
The 'Automotive Safety Foundation' was founded in 1937.Historical Milestones page 1
They organisation financed the 'Auto Industries Highway Safety Committee' in 1947, subsequently renamed the 'Dealers Safety and Mobility Council'Historical Milestones page 1
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'.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
In 1995 the organisation was renamed the 'American Highway Users Association'. In the same year the 'Automotive Safety Foundation' was renamed the 'Roadway Safety Foundation'.Historical Milestones, page 1 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.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.
In 2004, Greg Cohen, formerly staff to the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee became the new President and CEO.
The AHUA was lobbied for both the TEA-21 highway and transportation bill in 1998 and for the SAFETEA-LU highway and transportation bill in 2005.. It was member of the Global Climate Coalition
which operated between 1989 and 2002 and which 'vigorously opposed' the Kyoto Protocol
. It is 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'.
Advocacy group
Advocacy groups use various forms of advocacy to influence public opinion and/or policy; they have played and continue to play an important part in the development of political and social systems...
representing many businesses in the automotive and road construction sector. The organization, which was founded by General Motors
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
and others in 1932, merged with the Automotive Safety Foundation and Auto Industries Highway Safety Committee in 1970.
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".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 It argues that all revenue from US fuel taxes
Fuel taxes in the United States
The United States federal excise tax on gasoline, as of February 2011, is 18.4¢/gal and 24.4¢/gal for diesel fuel. In January 2011, motor gasoline taxes averaged 48.1¢/gal and diesel fuel taxes averaged 53.1¢/gal, which accounted for 14% of the price of gasoline and 15% of the price of diesel.As...
should be used to fund road projects. It publishes research proposals relating to specific highway expansion proposals and regular reports that highlight the most congested roadways in the country.
The organization advocates
Advocacy
Advocacy is a political process by an individual or a large group which normally aims to influence public-policy and resource allocation decisions within political, economic, and social systems and institutions; it may be motivated from moral, ethical or faith principles or simply to protect an...
that further development of the highway system would reduce congestion
Traffic congestion
Traffic congestion is a condition on road networks that occurs as use increases, and is characterized by slower speeds, longer trip times, and increased vehicular queueing. The most common example is the physical use of roads by vehicles. When traffic demand is great enough that the interaction...
, reduce greenhouse gas
Greenhouse gas
A greenhouse gas is a gas in an atmosphere that absorbs and emits radiation within the thermal infrared range. This process is the fundamental cause of the greenhouse effect. The primary greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere are water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone...
emissions and improve Road Traffic Safety.
Officers and directors
The following officials and roles were listed on organisation's IRS Form 990IRS tax forms
IRS tax forms are used for taxpayers and tax-exempt organizations to report financial information to the Internal Revenue Service of the United States. They are used to report income, calculate taxes to be paid to the federal government of the United States, and disclose other information as...
in 2010. Other interests have been added referenced:
- The Honorable Norman Y. Mineta, Honorary chairman (United States Secretary of TransportationUnited States Secretary of TransportationThe United States Secretary of Transportation is the head of the United States Department of Transportation, a member of the President's Cabinet, and fourteenth in the Presidential line of succession. The post was created with the formation of the Department of Transportation on October 15, 1966,...
2001-2006, Hill & KnowltonHill & KnowltonHill & Knowlton is a global public relations company, headquartered in New York City, United States, with 79 offices in 44 countries. Hill & Knowlton was founded in Cleveland, Ohio in 1927 by John W. Hill and is today led by Chairman & CEO, Paul Taaffe...
2006) - Governor Bill GravesBill GravesWilliam Preston "Bill" Graves , was the 43rd Governor of Kansas from 1995 until 2003.Graves was born in Salina, Kansas in 1953 to parents who owned a trucking firm...
, Chairman (Governor of Kansas and president of American Trucking AssociationsAmerican Trucking AssociationsThe American Trucking Associations , founded in 1933, is the largest national trade association for the trucking industry. Through a federation of other trucking groups, industry-related conferences, and its 50 affiliated state trucking associations, ATA represents more than 37,000 members covering...
) - Richard A. Coon, Vice Chairman (President and CEO of Recreation Vehicle Industry Association)
- Thomas F. Jensen, Secretary (Vice President of UPS )
- Roy E. Littlefield, Treasurer (Executive Vice President, Tire Industry Association, Vice President, National Capital Area Transportation Federation )
- Gregory M. Cohen, President and CEO (Registered lobbyist specializing in media relations, grassroots organization, association management; also House Transportation and Infrastructure CommitteeUnited States House Committee on Transportation and InfrastructureThe U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. John Mica currently chairs the committee.-History:...
- Transportation/Trucking/Railroad industry 2001-2003
A further 18 directors are listed, including senior executives from: Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
, General Motors
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
, Toyota Motor North America
Toyota Motor North America
Toyota Motor North America, Inc. is the holding company for all other Toyota companies in North America.-Sales and service:*Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.*Toyota Financial Services*TSSC, Inc.*Toyota Canada Inc.*Toyota Credit Canada Inc....
, Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers
Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers
The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers is a trade group of automobile manufacturers that operate in the United States. Their mission is to "represent the common interests of its members and provide a forum to enable them to advance public policies that meet consumer and societal needs for clean,...
, Motor and Equipment Manufacturers Association, Recreational Vehicle Industry Association, Chevron
Chevron Corporation
Chevron Corporation is an American multinational energy corporation headquartered in San Ramon, California, United States and active in more than 180 countries. It is engaged in every aspect of the oil, gas, and geothermal energy industries, including exploration and production; refining,...
, Lafarge
Lafarge
Lafarge is a French industrial company specialising in four major products: cement, construction aggregates, concrete and gypsum wallboard. In 2010 the company was the world's second-largest cement manufacturer by mass shipped behind Holcim.-History:...
North America Cement Division, CITGO Asphalt Refining Company and others.
History
The organisation was founded as the 'National Highway Users Conference' in 1932 by Alfred P. SloanAlfred P. Sloan
Alfred Pritchard Sloan, Jr. was an American business executive in the automotive industry. He was a long-time president, chairman, and CEO of General Motors Corporation...
, Jr., then president of General Motors
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
, and other industry leaders. Its aim was to advocate for funding of highways to be maintained during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
.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.
The 'Automotive Safety Foundation' was founded in 1937.Historical Milestones page 1
They organisation financed the 'Auto Industries Highway Safety Committee' in 1947, subsequently renamed the 'Dealers Safety and Mobility Council'Historical Milestones page 1
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'.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
In 1995 the organisation was renamed the 'American Highway Users Association'. In the same year the 'Automotive Safety Foundation' was renamed the 'Roadway Safety Foundation'.Historical Milestones, page 1 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.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.
In 2004, Greg Cohen, formerly staff to the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee became the new President and CEO.
The AHUA was lobbied for both the TEA-21 highway and transportation bill in 1998 and for the SAFETEA-LU highway and transportation bill in 2005.. It was member of the Global Climate Coalition
Global Climate Coalition
The Global Climate Coalition was a group of mainly United States businesses opposing immediate action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The group formed in response to several reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change . A major scientific report on the severity of global warming...
which operated between 1989 and 2002 and which 'vigorously opposed' the Kyoto Protocol
Kyoto Protocol
The Kyoto Protocol is a protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change , aimed at fighting global warming...
. It is opposed to the American Clean Energy and Security Act
American Clean Energy and Security Act
The American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 was an energy bill in the 111th United States Congress that would have established a variant of an emissions trading plan similar to the European Union Emission Trading Scheme...
in 2009 'dramatically raise the price of highway fuel through a hidden tax on the carbon present in the fuel'.