Interstate system arrives at crossroads

Dec. 28, 2000
As America observes the 40th anniversary of its Interstate Highway System in 1996, we are truly at a crossroads in laying the foundation for our nation's transportation system in the 21st century. The interstate system is generally regarded as the greatest system of highways in the world, and its role in promoting economic development has contributed significantly to making the U.S. a world economic leader.
As America observes the 40th anniversary of its Interstate Highway System in 1996, we are truly at a crossroads in laying the foundation for our nation's transportation system in the 21st century. The interstate system is generally regarded as the greatest system of highways in the world, and its role in promoting economic development has contributed significantly to making the U.S. a world economic leader.

But the level of funding required to make much-needed improvements to the system in the years ahead is in jeopardy because of increasing emphasis on cutting federal and state budgets and diverting motorist user fees away from needed road and bridge improvements at the federal and state level.

The mobility provided to our nation's citizens who drive on the 3.9 million miles of roads and cross the country's 574,000 bridges is essential to the quality of life we enjoy today. While our nation's highway system remains the best of its kind in the world, many of our roads and bridges are approaching the end of their design life. If they are to continue serving our country's motorists and promote commerce, these roads and bridges will need improvements and upgrades, which will require significantly higher levels of investment.

The inadequate funding levels were documented by the U.S. DOT in its biennial report 1995 Status of the Nation's Surface Transportation System: Conditions and Performance, which found that the nation should be spending almost double the current investment level to provide an efficient, safe system of roads and bridges.

Currently the nation only is investing $35 billion annually on capital improvements to its roads and bridges. But the report found that it will require an annual investment of $50 billion to simply maintain the current level of deterioration of our roads and bridges. The U.S. DOT report also found that the nation should be spending $68 billion now, increasing to an average of about $74 billion annually on its roads and bridges over a 20-year period to provide the greatest cost-benefit.

One of the reasons that highway improvement needs are not being met is that motorists user fees, which originally were designed to pay only for road and bridge improvements, have been diverted to the general federal budget, mass transit and other non-highway projects. The diversion or exemption of federal-highway user fees increased 577% between 1985 and 1995, jumping from $2 billion to about $13 billion annually at the federal level. Another $12 billion was diverted at state and local levels in 1995. If the $25 billion diverted by all levels of government had been used for road and bridge improvements, it would have enabled much of the needs cited in the U.S. DOT report to be met.

The need for increased investment also can be seen in the fact that pavement conditions on our nation's roads have declined for the last two years in a row, the first time that has happened in at least 10 years. In 1994 (the last year data are available) more than 60% of our roads were in poor or fair condition. About one-third of our bridges were deficient.

In addition, travel on the nation's roads continues to soar, thus increasing the wear and tear on the system. Between 1984 and 1994, total highway vehicle miles of travel (VMT) increased 37.5% to 2.3 trillion VMT. U.S. DOT forecasts that highway travel will continue to increase at approximately 2.15% annually and will reach approximately 3.8 trillion miles by 2015.

Highway safety also has been adversely affected by the nation's lack of adequate road and bridge funding. U.S. traffic fatalities increased in 1995 for the third year in a row. More than three-quarters of these fatalities occurred on two-lane roads-roads which are only half as safe as roads with four lanes and a median. Yet 72.7% of the nation's major roads excluding interstates-115,594 miles-are two-lane roads. The U.S. DOT has found that when two-lane roads were upgraded to four-lane roads with a median, highway fatalities decreased by 71%.

While highway needs are mounting, federal lawmakers' proposals to date have focused on making transportation spending cuts. As our nation approaches reauthorization of the federal transportation program in 1997, funding levels for its road and bridge system will come to the forefront. The debate over funding levels for highways in the next few years will determine what approach can be taken to address issues such as congestion, traffic safety and economic development.

TRIP's 1996 Highway Funding Methods, Conditions and Use report details the condition of the nation's roads and bridges, funding and use of the system, and travel by the nation's 198 million cars, trucks, motorcycles and buses.

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