Transportation

Statement by Phineas Baxandall, NCPIRG’s Senior Transportation Analyst, regarding the disappointing federal Transportation Bill as released from conference committee today.

Drawing lessons from other countries, a new study from U.S. PIRG shows that high-speed rail can boost our economy, save energy, curb pollution and provide a popular alternative to congested roads and airports.

A new report released today strongly criticized politicians and policies that favor building new roadways while neglecting existing bridges and roads. The report notes that, for North Carolina car owners, rough roads increase their repair and operating expenses by an average of $251 per year. North Carolina has not prioritized preservation of its existing roadways and the state legislature and Department of Transportation have continued to plan for a spate of outer ring roads throughout the state which would further deplete funds for repair and maintenance. Despite the recent construction of much of North Carolina’s highways, 42 percent of roads are in less than good condition and 2,442 of the state’s bridges are deemed structurally deficient by government inspectors. Fourteen percent of North Carolina’s bridges are structurally deficient, compared to 12 percent nationally.

According to data released today, North Carolinians in the Triangle area wasted 19.5 million hours of additional time stuck on the roads, and 12 million gallons of additional gas as a result of traffic congestion in 2007. The wasted time and fuel cost the public an equivalent of $421 million, according to the Urban Mobility Report produced by the Texas Transportation Institute.  The delays experienced in Charlotte were even greater, with the wasted time and fuel costing the public the equivalent of $525 million.

A major new report identifies problems in a national trend toward private toll roads. The study entitled Private Roads, Private Costs: The Facts About Toll Road Privatization and How to Protect the Public examines 15 completed private road projects and 79 others that are proposed or underway.

North Carolina transportation officials have at the ready 20 highway projects in the Triangle costing $1 billion, should federal infrastructure stimulus dollars come flowing to the state.