Recent forecasts indicate a shortfall of several billion dollars to the Federal Highway Trust Fund in FY 2009, largely due to reduced driving and a decade-old congressional action that transferred more than $8 billion from the Highway Trust Fund to the General Fund.

RVIA Vice President of Government Affairs Dianne Farrell said of the situation, “A failure to ensure adequate money in the Highway Trust Fund could trigger funding cuts to states of approximately 34 percent. The resulting shortfall in state budgets could mean a serious delay – or even cancellation – of transportation infrastructure projects that are essential to the health of the RV industry.”

The Federal Aviation Administration extension bill being considered by Congress offers an opportunity to fix the Highway Trust Fund by restoring the $8 million that was removed. To help preserve the Trust Fund, RV industry members can contact their Congressmen and Senators and ask them to credit the Highway Trust Fund's Highway Account with the $8 billion that was taken from it in 1998.

"This revenue-neutral transfer would help to patch the shortfalls in the Trust Fund for 2009 and create a well-funded highway system that is critical to the RV lifestyle," said Farrell. "We're asking our members to email their federal legislators to prevent highway funding cuts that would undermine the network of safe, efficient roads that RVers rely upon." This message is also being supported by diverse groups like the American Highway Users Alliance, the American Public Transportation Association and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.