Our nation’s transportation infrastructure is increasingly antiquated. Not only are roads and bridges falling apart, but this infrastructure was designed for another time when fuel was cheap, the U.S. population was far smaller and there was no knowledge of human-induced climate change.
In the aftermath of last year’s bridge collapse in Minneapolis, much attention is now focused on the need for repairs. And this need is indeed great. More than 70,000 bridges nationwide are “structurally deficient,” and substandard road conditions contribute to 30 percent of all highway accidents, according to the Federal Highway Administration. We must boost investment to fix these problems and step up monitoring so that we can anticipate and head off the sort of failure that occurred in Minneapolis.
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As repairs are made, however, there also needs to be more careful thought given to our transportation needs for the future. Many Americans are now struggling to fill up their gas tanks. But over the long run, gas prices are expected to soar even higher as demand continues to rise in developing countries such as China and India.
At the same time, the U.S. population is growing and there are far more drivers on the road. Traffic congestion in American cities costs an estimated $78 billion annually in lost productivity and wasted fuel. Moreover, the number of commercial trucks is increasing at an even faster rate than passenger vehicles. These trucks place great strain on the nation’s roads and bridges, requiring additional dollars for repairs and maintenance.
Finally, there is the urgent need to reduce the burning of fossil fuels and the resulting release of carbon dioxide emissions, which are causing potentially disastrous global climate change. The transportation sector is the second largest source of CO2 emissions in the United States, with two-thirds of these emissions coming from automobiles and light trucks.
All of this suggests a need for more rail transportation — including long-distance train service (for both passengers and freight), subway systems and light rail. More extensive rail transportation can take cars and trucks off the road, particularly in urban areas, where most road travel occurs and where congestion is most severe. This would reduce spending on road maintenance and expansion and reduce demand for gas, thereby driving down the price at the pump, and significantly cutting carbon dioxide emissions.
Janet Kavinoky says
Responding to our infrastructure crisis will require candid assessments, as well as prioritizing and making tough spending decisions based on actual need rather than political expediency.
Policy makers, unfortunately, have not yet made the necessary commitment for this transition. And in some ways, we’re actually headed in reverse. The tonnage of freight shipped by rail, for example, is expected to increase by more than 50 percent by 2020, according to the Department of Transportation. But in the absence of sufficient government investment, railroad maintenance and expansion is falling behind this growing demand. If this is allowed to continue, there will inevitably be even more trucks on the road to transport what the railroads cannot.
Our next president must have a vision for transportation infrastructure beyond road repairs and maintenance. President Dwight D. Eisenhower developed and executed a plan to build our interstate highway system to meet the transportation needs of the 20th century. The new president should similarly develop a plan for the 21st century that dramatically expands rail infrastructure. This will of course require a significant investment. But as with the interstate highway system, the payoff would be enormous: millions of new jobs, a boost to the struggling economy and a transportation infrastructure for the future. We’ve done it before, and we can do it again.
Reece Rushing is director of regulatory and information policy at the Center for American Progress Action Fund.