The Committee for Economic Development of The Conference Board, a non-profit business think tank, recently released a report recommending six steps that can be taken to improve the nation’s more than 60-year-old Interstate Highway System.
“Just as we expect water and light to appear at the turn of the knob and flip of a switch, Americans also take for granted that our roads and bridges will be forever well-conditioned and readily accessible for safe, reliable travel,” the report said.. “Unfortunately, a massive amount of deferred maintenance and a rapidly growing gap between investment needs and available funds threaten the ability of America’s surface transportation system to deliver on this expectation.“
The six recommendations are:
Revenue should be increased by switching from a gas tax to mileage-based user fees and adding more managed lanes in congested areas. The downside is that lower income groups might be unfairly burdened by the fees.
Governments should encourage more private sector contracts for road maintenance and operation.
Projects should be considered as part of a network as opposed to stand-alone projects.
The review process required by the National Environmental Policy Act should be streamlined to speed up approvals and permits.
Governments must establish regulations for and invest in new road technologies.
The public must be educated on the vital role of infrastructure and on the necessary political and social awareness of a surface transportation system.