DALLAS – Federal, state, and local governments would need to boost their transportation infrastructure spending by more than a third over the next 20 years to resolve a growing $836 billion surface transportation backlog, according to the latest biannual assessment of the national network of roads and bridges.
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Total transportation infrastructure spending of $105.2 billion in 2012, the last year for which complete numbers are available, was 35.5% less than is needed, said Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx.
"We have an infrastructure system that is fundamental to the nation's economic health, and it needs greater attention and resources," Foxx said. "Improving our nation's roads, bridges, and transit helps create jobs, connects communities and ensures that our nation is equipped for the future."
Governments raised $216.6 billion in road-related taxes in 2012, according to the report. The total includes $106.3 billion collected by state governments, $67.5 billion by cities and counties, and $42.8 billion by the federal government.
However, less than half of the total collections were dedicated to infrastructure expansion projects with the remainder used to fund non-capital projects and operational expenses. The non-capital expenditures include $11.6 billion for debt service on state and local road bonds.
The $836 billion backlog of cost-beneficial highway and bridge investments includes $156.8 billion for portions of the 47,000-mile system of interstate highways. Interstates accounted for barely 1% of the total road system mileage but carried almost 25% of total vehicle miles traveled.
"Current freight demands are straining existing system capacity, while freight movement across the United States is expected to increase," the report said.
The average commuter lost 41 hours to traffic congestion in 2012, up from 39 hours in 2002, according to the report.
Annual highway capital expenditures by all levels of governments rose to $105.2 billion in 2012 from $68.2 billion in 2002 but that 54% increase drops to 23.5% when inflation is factored in.
The federal government's share of total highway capital funding fell to 43.1% in 2012 from 46.1% in 2002. Capital spending funded by state and local governments over the decade rose by 5% per year while federally funded capital outlays grew an average of 3.7% per year.
Annual investments by transit rail and bus systems totaling $26.4 billion are needed to improve the condition of their infrastructure but combined governmental transit expenditures in 2012 totaled only $17 billion, the report said.
Freezing transit investments at the current low level would increase the total system preservation backlog to $122 billion by 2032 from the current $89.8 billion, while at the same time causing deterioration of overall system safety and reliability, said Carolyn Flowers, acting head of the Federal Transit Administration.
"We must increase investment in public transportation nationwide, because we must take immediate action to bring our transit infrastructure into a state of good repair," she said. "This report shows the impact of the lack of investment in infrastructure. The results of that neglect can be seen throughout our country."
The five-year Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act, which was adopted in late 2015, will provide a total of $207 billion of federal highway funding to states through fiscal 2020, an average of $41.5 billion per year. The FAST Act will also provide $61 billion of transit funding through 2020.
