Funding Biggest Roadblock to Curing U.S. Congestion

What’s stopping the United States from solving its widespread congestion crisis? Stingy politicians, says a recent survey. While lining their fat pockets—and funding an unending war—with federal tax dollars, politicos are unwilling to fund transportation projects that will promote public transit, encourage car-free commuting, and change infrastructures to make cities and towns more pedestrian-oriented.

A recent survey and analysis by HTNB, an architecture/engineering firm, found that inadequate funding is the greatest roadblock to solving the States’ car crisis. The National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission has called for a complete overhaul of how funding for transportation is raised, allocated, and delivered.

"Establishing a vision for America’s 21st century transportation system and developing a plan to pay for it is long overdue," said Paul Yarossi, president of the HNTB Companies. "We must create mobility and eliminate the strain congestion is placing on our citizen’s safety and quality of life and our country’s security and economic competitiveness."

Overwhelmingly, survey respondents (89%) supported funding of projects that would reduce congestion in major cities and remove barriers that prevent states from generating revenue through alternate means, i.e. tolling and congestion pricing (70%). More than half of U.S. urban interstates are now congested with oppressive traffic.

In their report, the commission noted that the government is spending less than 40 percent of the $225 billion to $340 billion needed to fund congestion solutions. The commission is urging Congress to heed their recommendations.

If the U.S. builds smart transit systems and introduces ped-friendly infrastructures, I suspect that Americans will step up and, ultimately, respond by relying less on their cars. (The “If you build it, he will come” principal applies.) Is there anyone who really loves sitting in traffic, being stuck behind the wheel, choking on tailpipe fumes, and getting fat while listening to gloomy news on NPR (or, worse, obnoxious morning talk show hosts)? I think most urban drivers, given the opportunity, would be ready converts if the infrastructure were ripe for ped travel or and easy, convenient ride on public transit.

Source: PR Newswire/Yahoo.

Photos via flickr by maiylah and pictoscribe.

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1. Chicago Accepts Funds From Feds to Combat Congestion
2. Amtrak Hopes to See More Green with Federal Funding, Increased Ridership
3. House to Vote on Intercity Rail Funding
4. New York City Council Approves Congestion Pricing
5. AAA Study: Cars, Congestion, Cost, and Carnage