AASHTO Journal, 23 March 2012
A substantial gap exists between current spending to maintain the nation’s highway and transit infrastructure and the projected level of investment still needed for that work, concludes a recently released report from the U.S. Department of Transportation.
The report, “2010 Status of the Nation’s Highways, Bridges and Transit,” projects that $101 billion – in addition to increases for inflation – will be needed annually over the next two decades from all levels of government to keep the current surface transportation network in its current state. “This report shows how important it is to get started now rebuilding American’s roads, bridges, and transit systems,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood in a statement.
The report, which draws primarily on 2008 data and is the ninth of a series released every two years to Congress, also identifies investment opportunities to further enhance the present condition of highways and bridges that could total as much as $170 billion annually. In addition, the report highlights that in 2008 all levels of government together spent $91.1 billion in highway capital improvements – a 48.4% increase over what was expended in 2000. The Obama Administration’s Fiscal Year 2013 budget calls for $305 billion for highway programs over six years, which is a 34% increase for roads and bridges over the previous authorization.
In further appraising the nation’s highways, the report notes how major progress has been made when it comes to traffic safety. Highway fatalities fell by approximately 11% to 37,261 deaths in 2008, and subsequent data show a continued drop to 33,808 for 2009 and 32,788 in 2010. Other improvements highlighted in the report include the portion of vehicle miles traveled on federal-aid highways with pavements rated at “good” ride quality, which increased from 43% in 2000 to 46% in 2008.
As the report likewise outlines, the overall condition of bridges nationwide has improved. The share of National Highway System bridges rated as deficient dropped from 23% in 2001 to 22% in 2009, for example, while the portion of all bridges in that category fell from 30% to 27% during that same time frame.
The report also projects that anywhere from $20.8 to 24.5 billion will be needed annually over the next two decades to achieve a state of good repair for U.S. transit systems and to accommodate anticipated transit ridership growth. As the report points out, all levels of government spent just $16.1 billion on transit capital improvements in 2008. The Obama Administration’s current budget request includes $108 billion over the next six years for transit funding, which constitutes a 105% increase over previous authorization levels.
As the report also underscores, however, overall financing for transit investment and operations has increased notably in recent years – jumping from $30.8 billion in 2000 to $52.5 billion in 2008. The report likewise highlights national trends towards increased safety and fewer fatalities for such modes as light rail, motor buses, and heavy rail.
The 502-page report is available at 1.usa.gov/Transportation-Report.