Capitol Agenda for the Week of June 18: Have a Pothole? Call Domino’s
Pizza. Man’s cure for hangovers. Fine dining at most colleges. The first date.
Let’s be real. Pizza is perfect. And Domino’s Pizza, never one to shy away from savvy marketing, is combining our love for that yummy ’za with the delicious feeling of a beautifully paved street.
For a limited time only, Domino’s is mixing it up in the infrastructure game. Seriously.
After you order two medium pies with any topping and a drink, don’t forget to tell Domino’s you want free refills on the potholes outside your window. Launched June 11, the “Paving for Pizza” campaign will last 12 weeks and thus far the company has received thousands of nominations. Towns are vying for as many as 20 paving grants.
“As a brand we are focused on our customers and making sure they have an excellent experience with our brand,” Jenny Fouracre, Domino’s public relations director, told Transport Topics. “The impact of potholes on our pizza is something that we care about, and we clearly touched on something that resonates with people.”
So, what are you waiting for? Go online. Search for “Paving for Pizza.” And nominate your town. For now, Domino’s is sticking with potholes.
Asked if the company views itself as an advocate for sound infrastructure, Fouracre noted, “We see ourselves as an advocate for pizza!”
(Now, if we could only get McDonald’s to hurry up and do something about those plastic straws.)
THE WEEK AHEAD: (All times EDT)
June 19-20, 9 a.m.: Nordtree holds its Automated Driving Systems Conference and Expo. Speakers include Adit Joshi, research engineer at Ford Motor, and Erik Vinkhuyzen, senior researcher at Nissan.
June 19, 10 a.m.: Gilbert Verdian, CEO of the Quant Network, hosts a news conference on “Harnessing the Power of Blockchain Technology with Interoperability and Standardization.”
June 19, 1 p.m.: The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration hosts a listening session on autonomous vehicles in Ann Arbor, Mich.
June 20, 8:30 a.m.: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration’s Voluntary Information-Sharing System working group meets to identify recommendations to establish a voluntary information-sharing system.
June 20, 9 a.m.: Senate Finance Committee meets with Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross on “Current and Proposed Tariff Actions Administered by the Department of Commerce.”
June 20, 9 a.m.: United States Postal Service’s Temporary Emergency Committee of the Board of Governors meets in closed session.
June 20, 10 a.m.: The House Energy Subcommittee holds a hearing on “The Benefits of Tax Reform on the Energy Sector and Consumers.”
June 20, 10 a.m.: The House Financial Services Committee holds hearing on “Empowering a Pro-Growth Economy by Cutting Taxes and Regulatory Red Tape.”
June 20, 2:30 p.m.: The Senate International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness Subcommittee holds a hearing on “Trade and Commerce at U.S. Ports of Entry.”
June 20, 7 p.m.: Politics and Prose Bookstore examines the lead contamination in Flint, Mich., during a book discussion on “What the Eyes Don’t See: A Story of Crisis, Resistance, and Hope in an American City.”
June 21, 9 a.m.: The Brookings Institution hosts a panel titled “The infrastructure jobs opportunity: Improving water infrastructure and promoting a more inclusive economy.” Speakers include Atlanta Department of Watershed Management Commissioner Kishia Powell, Camden County, N.J., Municipal Utilities Authority Executive Director and Chief Engineer Andrew Kricun, and National Skills Coalition Senior Federal Policy Analyst Katie Spiker. Adie Tomer, fellow at the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program, will moderate. Rep. Garret Graves (R-La.) will offer keynote remarks.
June 21, 10 a.m.: The Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee meets to examine pipeline safety.
June 21, 11 a.m.: National Journal hosts a webinar on the 2018 midterms.
June 22, 8 a.m.: No Labels presents a discussion with Bob Cusack, managing editor of The Hill.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
SHOW ME THE MONEY: With the annualized turnover rate at large truckload carriers soaring by the end of the first quarter, companies continued to open their checkbooks, giving pay raises to drivers as a way to keep them.
GLIDER: An EPA advisory board is reviewing the quality and relevance of scientific and technical information used to justify repealing an Obama administration regulation that limits the production of glider trucks.
THOSE TARIFFS: New U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum imports could ultimately raise the price of trucks sold in the United States, top executives at the world’s largest commercial vehicle manufacturer warned.
ROAD TO NTDC:
BUZZ:
After a June 13 hearing on autonomous vehicles, Senate EPW Chairman John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) spoke briefly with New York City DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg, who was among the witnesses. Transport Topics captured the exchange:
BARRASSO: You can read a lot of this stuff and the impact of cities. You know, you can read an article that says it goes this way and you can read another article that says that way.
TROTTENBERG: It’s like it’s a future paradise or a horrifying future dystopia. We don’t know yet.
BARRASSO: But that’s why we’re doing this to try to get a broader understanding.
WHAT WE’RE READING:
FAVORITE QUOTE:
“I think [President Donald Trump] speaks in a particular vernacular that connects to people in this country.”
Former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon in an interview with “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” on June 17
FAVORITE VIDEO:
“Elanie”
FAVORITE TWEET:
#ALLCAPS
ARTBA staff out supporting the Caps! #ALLCAPS #CapitalsParade #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/QyfnMbonJL — ARTBA (@ARTBA) June 12, 2018
Thanks for reading Capitol Agenda. We publish weekly when Congress is in session. E-mail emulero@ttnews.com with tips. Follow us @eugenemulero and @transporttopics.
