On September 26, 2019, Jim Burnley was quoted in Asphalt Contractor, Freight Waves, Transport Topics, Bloomberg Government, Politico Pro, and Congressional Quarterly regarding the repeal of a 103-year-old Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) rule prohibiting states from using proprietary products on their federally funded projects.
According to the articles, many new and innovative technologies that could help address the challenges facing our nation's highways have not been as widely adopted as they could be because the proprietary rule discouraged state contracting agencies from acquiring them. The revised regulation, announced by the FHWA on September 26 and which takes effect on October 28, will lead to safer roads and reduce the probability of congestion-causing accidents.
"Repeal of the Proprietary Rule liberates state DOT's to use their own procurement procedures to acquire innovative products that will enhance safety, reduce congestion and enhance the resilience of our highways," Burnley says. "Secretary Chao and Administrator Nason are to be commended for getting rid of this 103-year-old impediment to progress."