How much will it cost to improve the condition and performance of our nations surface transportation systems?
According to data from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s 2006 “Report to Congress on the Conditions and Performance of the Nation’s Highways, Bridges and Transit,” all levels of government should currently be investing about $120 billion per year in highway improvements just to maintain current physical and performance conditions on the nation’s highways and bridges. This would grow to about $140 billion by 2015 if highway construction costs grow at the same rate as the overall inflation rate. Traditionally, the federal highway program has financed about 43 percent of all highway improvements while state and local governments have financed the rest. This means the federal highway program should currently be investing about $60 billion in highways, including administrative and research costs. Under the 2005 SAFETEA-LU law, annual federal highway investment topped out at $41.2 billion, or nearly $20 billion less than is needed to maintain current conditions. The current level of fe
