Report Card for America's Infrastructure














ROADS

Conditions

While passenger and commercial travel on our highways has increased dramatically in the past 10 years, America has been seriously under-investing in needed road and bridge repairs, and has failed to even maintain the substandard conditions we currently have. This is a dangerous trend that is affecting highway safety, as well as the health of the American economy.

Congress and state and local governments have begun to address the investment crisis and crumbling infrastructure through the enactment of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21), P.L. 105-178, which provided $218 billion for the nation's highway and transit programs.

TEA-21 funds, combined with additional revenues from state and local governments, have begun to make an impact on road projects in all 50 states. Total highway expenditures by all levels of government and all expenditure types (including capital outlays; maintenance; and research, policing and administrative) have increased from $93.5 billion in 1995, before TEA-21 was enacted, to $111.9 billion in 1999. Additionally, the obligation of federal funds for roadway projects has almost doubled during this same period from $8.6 billion in 1995 to $16.3 billion in 1999. Another good measure of the increased attention to our nation's highways is the miles of federal-aid roadway projects underway. This number has also increased dramatically from 16,654 miles in 1995 to 29,030 miles in 1999.

Even with TEA-21's commitment, our nation must increase annual investment by $27 billion at all levels to improve conditions and performance adequately, according to the Federal Highway Administration (FHwA). An FHwA report concludes that the nation should be investing $94 billion a year in its road and bridge system over the next 20 years. However, this investment level refers only to capital investment and does not include maintenance; and research, policing or administrative expenditures.

In 1999, the total capital investment by all levels of government was $59.4 billion, well short of the needed $94 billion. Yet even with this added attention, 58% of America's urban and rural roadways are in poor, mediocre or fair condition, according to the FHwA. Although this is a slight improvement from previous years, conditions remain at substandard levels.

The FHwA ranks "poor" roads as those in need of immediate improvement. "Mediocre" roads need improvement in the near future to preserve usability. "Fair" roads will likely need improvement. "Good" roads are in decent condition and will not require improvement in the near future. "Very good" roads have new or almost new pavement.

Substandard road conditions are dangerous. Outdated and substandard road and bridge design, pavement conditions, and safety features are factors in 30% of all fatal highway accidents, according to the FHwA.

Americans' personal and commercial highway travel continues to increase at a faster rate than highway capacity, and our highways cannot sufficiently support our current or projected travel needs. Between 1970 and 1995, passenger travel nearly doubled in the U.S., and road use is expected to increase by nearly two-thirds in the next 20 years. Growth can be attributed to changes in the labor force, income, makeup of metropolitan areas and other factors.

More than 70% of peak-hour traffic occurs in congested conditions. The cost to the economy - in wasted time and fuel - in just the 10 most congested urban areas is $34 billion each year. In addition, poor highway conditions hinder effective transport of goods that help support the American economy.

Policy Options

Solutions to ease the increasing demands on our transportation system and improve highway conditions, capacity and safety, are multifaceted and do not always mean building more roads and bridges. America must change its transportation behavior, increase transportation investment at all levels of government, and make use of the latest technology. Cities and communities should be better planned to reduce dependence on personal vehicles for errands and work commutes, and businesses must encourage more flexible schedules and telecommuting.

Congress must fully reauthorize the TEA-21. Congress also must use all of the money that accumulates in the Highway Trust Fund and protect it from abuse by removing it from the unified budget. Congress must provide adequate funding to meet current highway and transit needs, and include enough funding for research and development of civil engineering innovations that offer cost-effective solutions to our transportation needs. Other solutions include private-public partnerships where appropriate, and multi-year capital and operating budgets.

Specific recommendations supported by ASCE:

  • Full funding for TEA-21 at approved levels and inclusion of RABA funds using the already determined funding formula for states.
  • Removal of the Highway Trust Fund from the unified federal budget.
  • Increased funding for long-term fundamental highway research efforts at the national level.
  • Establish a federal, multi-year capital budget for public works infrastructure construction and rehabilitation similar to those used by state and local governments.
  • Encourage the use of life-cycle cost analysis principles to evaluate the total costs of projects.
  • Reauthorization of TEA-21 in 2002.
  • Support for environmental streamlining of highway projects.
Sources

  • U.S. Dept. of Transportation (DOT), 1999 Status of the Nation's Highways, Bridges, and Transit: Conditions and Performance, 2000.
  • U.S. Dept. of Transportation (DOT), Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Transportation Statistics Annual Report, 1999.
  • U.S. DOT, The Changing Face of Transportation, preliminary draft, 2000.
  • U.S. DOT, Federal Highway Administration, The Status of the Nation's Highway Bridges: Highway Bridge Replacement and Rehabilitation Program and National Bridge Inventory, 1997.
  • U.S. DOT, Federal Highway Administration, Highway Statistics, 1996.
  • U.S. DOT, Federal Highway Administration, Status of the Nation's Surface Transportation System: Conditions & Performance, 1995.
  • United States Census Bureau, Statistical Abstract of the United States, 1999.
  • American Road and Transportation Builders Association, Financing Local Road Construction: Small Markets Make Big Business: An ARTBA Analysis of Local Government Road Funding, 1991-1997, 2000.
  • American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), "State DOT's TEA-21 Success Stories," AASHTO Quarterly, Spring 1999.
  • AASHTO, Strategic Highway Safety Plan, September 2000.
  • AASHTO, The Bottom Line, 1996.
  • AASHTO, Transportation for a Competitive America, 1996.
  • Texas Transportation Institute, Urban Mobility Study, 1999.
  • ASCE Policy Statement 382 "Transportation Funding," 1998.
  • ASCE Policy Statement 434 "Transportation Trust Funds," 2000.
  • ASCE Policy Statement 367 "Highway Safety," 1998.
  • ASCE Policy Statement 149 "Intermodal Transportation Systems," 2000.
  • ASCE Policy Statement 436 "Incorporating Bicycle Facilities into Transportation Planning and Design," 1998.
  • ASCE Policy Statement 468 "State Transportation Research Development & Technology Transfer Activities," 1998.
  • ASCE Resolution 481 "National Highway Research Funding," 2000.
  • ASCE Policy Statement 208 "Bridge Safety," 2000.