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Next authorization of surface transportation funds one of highest priorities, LaHood tells Congress

WASHINGTON— Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood told members of Congress Wednesday that the next authorization of surface transportation programs is “one of my highest priorities.”

LaHood made the remark during testimony before the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.

The committee conducted a hearing on the need for transportation investment.

“This reauthorization is about investments that we need to make as a nation, investments in the economy, in transportation infrastructure, and in the future,” LaHood told the committee. “The new authorization bill for surface transportation programs will make long-lasting investments in our nation’s infrastructure and will help keep people employed long after recovery funds are spent.”

LaHood said that in the current economic environment with strained Highway Trust Fund revenues, “it is more critical than ever that federal dollars are strategically invested. In reauthorizing the federal-aid highway program, we will be seeking changes that encourage more effective investments in an environmentally-friendly manner through a multi-modal approach to problem solving.”

LaHood said taxpayers wanted to see results from infrastructure investments that directly benefit their lives, including better access to jobs and goods and improved mobility within and between communities.

“We need an increased focus on measuring the outcomes of infrastructure investments, such as improved safety, reduced congestion, improved pavement and facility life, and better air quality,” LaHood said.

LaHood noted that since the enactment of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) in 1998, combined investment by all levels of government in highway and bridge infrastructure has increased significantly.

But, he said, over the last 15 years there has been a noticeable shift in the types of capital improvements made by state and local governments.

During this time, state and local governments redirected their investments toward “system rehabilitation” projects, the resurfacing, rehabilitation, or reconstruction of existing highway lanes and bridges, LaHood said.

“The portion of capital investment going for system rehabilitation increased from 47.6 percent in 1997 to 51.3 percent in 2006, while the percentage directed towards system expansion (such as the widening of roads and the construction of new facilities) declined,” LaHood testified.

The increased system rehabilitation investment since 1997 has had a positive effect on the physical condition of key components of the nation’s highway and bridge infrastructure, LaHood said.

“The NHS includes those roads that are most important to interstate travel, economic growth, and national defense,” LaHood told senators. “While the NHS makes up only 4.1 percent of total mileage, it carries 44.8 percent of total travel in the United States.  The percentage of NHS vehicle miles traveled (VMT) on pavements with “good” ride quality rose from 39 percent in 1997 to 57 percent in 2006.  The share of NHS VMT on roads with “acceptable” ride quality (a less rigorous standard that also includes roads classified as ‘good’) also increased over this period, from 89 percent to 93 percent.

To read the complete testimony, click here.

Lyndon Finney of The Trucker staff can be reached to comment on this article at [email protected] .