Recently in Transportation Category

Source: American City and County, February 18, 2010

Through the end of 2009, investments by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) in public transportation have created almost twice as many jobs per dollar as investments in highways, according to an analysis of federal data by Washington-based Smart Growth America (SGA) and other groups. The most recent data from states shows that every billion dollars spent on public transportation produced 19,299 job-months, compared to 10,493 job-months for every billion spent on highway infrastructure, according to the analysis.

Source: American City and County, January 14, 2010

Several states dropped in their safety ratings in the Washington-based Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety's (Advocates) 2010 Roadmap Report on State Highway Safety Laws. The safety rating decreases were a result of the Advocates' inclusion of text messaging restrictions, graduated driver licensing (GDL) programs and ignition‐interlock laws for drunk driving offenders in the report's analysis. Six states that last year earned Green ratings, the highest grade for model performance, this year fell to Yellow ratings, and an additional six states fell from Yellow to the worst‐performing Red rating.

Source: David T. Hartgen, Ravi K. Karanam and M. Gregory Fields, Reason Foundation, December 2009

From the summary:
North Dakota continues to have the nation's most efficient state-owned highway system, according to Reason Foundation's 18th Annual Highway Report.

The study finds over half of all state-owned highways across the country are congested and 25 percent of bridges are deficient or functionally obsolete.

Since 1984, per-mile total disbursements on state highways have increased by 262 percent. In 2007, U.S. states spent over $109 billion on state-owned highways, a 10 percent increase over 2006. But not everyone is getting their money's worth. Taxpayers in New York, Hawaii, New Jersey, California, Rhode Island and Alaska have the worst-performing highway systems in the nation.

The Reason Foundation study examines state highway systems in 11 categories, including congestion, pavement condition, fatalities, deficient bridges and total spending. The annual report is based on information that each state reported for the year 2007.
See also:
- Press Release
- View Data With Google Maps
- View Data in Spreadsheet

Source: Paul Coussan, Matthew Hicks, Association County Commissioners of Georgia, Fall 2009

Most states are wrestling with how to close a growing gap between transportation infrastructure
investment needs and available resources. This report seeks to inventory the successes and failures of states to increase transportation funding since 2000, more closely examine the level - local, regional or statewide - at which the revenue sources are enacted, and study the method - either referenda-based or legislative - used.

Source: Transportation for America and Transportation Equity Network, August 2009

With both the demand and the pay-of so high, now would seem to be the time to build on this success and expand transit options, yet the opposite is happening. State and local budget cuts have put public transit agencies everywhere under tremendous pressure, forcing them to eliminate service, raise fares and lay of workers. While the depth of the funding crisis is the result of the unusually severe economic downturn, the cuts to this essential service underscore a basic truth: The funding base for building and operating public transportation is insufficient and vulnerable.

Source: David Hartgen and Gregory Fields, Reason Foundation, Policy Study 371, August 27, 2009

How much would your city's economy grow if its roads were free-flowing instead of jammed? A new Reason Foundation study by David Hartgen and Gregory Fields examines how reducing gridlock would increase economic output and worker productivity in eight cities across the country. In Dallas, getting rid of traffic congestion would boost the economy by $46 billion a year. Denver would get a $38 billion increase in Gross Regional Product if it had free-flowing traffic conditions. Atlanta, Charlotte, San Francisco and Seattle would all see more than $10 billion a year in economic growth if they prioritized infrastructure projects and eliminated severe traffic congestion.

Source: Ted R. Miller, Eduard Zaloshnja, Transportation Construction Coalition, May 2009

While considerable research has been conducted over the past 50 years quantifying the significant roles motor vehicle design, drunk and drugged driving, speeding and non-use of seatbelts play as factors in the number, severity and economic costs of motor vehicle crashes in the United States, this is the first national study in many years to examine the role and consequences of another major factor in these tragic incidences--the physical condition of U.S. roadways.

The study finds that the cost and severity of crashes where roadway conditions are a factor "greatly exceeds the cost and severity of crashes where alcohol or speeding was involved, or the cost of non-use of seatbelts."

Source Public Works, 2009

Almost 20% of the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will be spent on improving the nation's infrastructure.The editors of Public Works have assembled a sector-by-sector guide to how much is available and under what conditions. The site includes: News & updates, Fleet services, Public grounds and facilities, Solid waste, Streets, roads, and bridges, Technology and equipment, Water, wastewater, and stormwater, and Other resources.

Source: Brendan Schlauch, Governing, Vol. 22 no. 11, August 2009

As business models proliferate, most new highways aren't public or private but somewhere in between.

Source: Wendy Haynes and Andrew Whipple, Public Manager, Vol. 38 no. 2, Summer 2009

Three recent, well-known initiatives - Boston's Big Dig, Denver's International Airport, and Colorado's T-REX - vary in methods and success.