Thursday, June 24, 2004
The Looming Highway Condition Crisis:
Performance of State Highway Systems, 1984-2002
Overview:
US road conditions worsened from 2001 to 2002, for the first time since the mid 1990’s, even though the federal government and the states substantially increased their dollars, according to the latest annual review of state road performance prepared by Professor David T. Hartgen at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
Review of the Report by The John Locke Foundation
state_highway_report_2004.pdf
Overview:
US road conditions worsened from 2001 to 2002, for the first time since the mid 1990’s, even though the federal government and the states substantially increased their dollars, according to the latest annual review of state road performance prepared by Professor David T. Hartgen at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
Review of the Report by The John Locke Foundation
state_highway_report_2004.pdf
Comments:
It's a good study and shows that we are losing the battle to build more and more roads. The cost of maintaining each new highway construction project is getting more costly with every new mile. The study suggest we should put MORE money into construction but the author does not understand the politics of road construction.
Road construction is a job works program and maintanence is not. States seek this government money because it provides needed jobs in their cities. Unfortunatley, we will reach a stage where all these new roads will require serious repairs and there just isn't enough money for both sides.
What must be studied is how we can maximize new and innovate technology so that our roads will last longer instead of just building for the sake of providing jobs. It's no secret that roads in Germany last longer than ours saving them hundreds of millions in maintenance each year.
Furthermore, we need to expand public transportation by creating new lightrails and commuter lines while expanding our intermodal lines. This will take millions of cars and trucks off the roads thus decreasing our overall maintenance costs each year.
Steve.
Post a Comment
Road construction is a job works program and maintanence is not. States seek this government money because it provides needed jobs in their cities. Unfortunatley, we will reach a stage where all these new roads will require serious repairs and there just isn't enough money for both sides.
What must be studied is how we can maximize new and innovate technology so that our roads will last longer instead of just building for the sake of providing jobs. It's no secret that roads in Germany last longer than ours saving them hundreds of millions in maintenance each year.
Furthermore, we need to expand public transportation by creating new lightrails and commuter lines while expanding our intermodal lines. This will take millions of cars and trucks off the roads thus decreasing our overall maintenance costs each year.
Steve.
