AASHTO is a nonprofit, nonpartisan association representing highway and transportation departments in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. It represents all transportation modes including: air, highways, public transportation, active transportation, rail, and water. Its primary goal is to foster the development, operation, and maintenance of an integrated national transportation system.

AASHTO works to educate the public and key decision makers about the critical role that transportation plays in securing a good quality of life and sound economy for our nation. AASHTO serves as a liaison between state departments of transportation and the Federal government. AASHTO is an international leader in setting technical standards for all phases of highway system development. Standards are issued for design, construction of highways and bridges, materials, and many other technical areas.

AASHTO serves as a catalyst for excellence in transportation by offering:

• Smart solutions and promising practices;
• Critical information, training and data;
• Direct technical assistance to states; and
• Unchallenged expertise.

Technical Leadership and Assistance to States: AASHTO Leads the Way
AASHTO is guided by a Board of Directors made up of the chief transportation officers from the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. The 12-member Executive Committee is led by AASHTO’s elected officers, and is assisted by its executive director.

AASHTO’s policy development, standards setting, and technical activities are the product of volunteer state department of transportation personnel who work through the AASHTO committee structure. The committees collaborate throughout the year and typically meet annually. These committees, which represent the highest standard of transportation expertise in the country, address virtually every element of planning, designing, constructing, and maintaining transportation services.