Some Talk on Transportation Funding

The 600-lb gorilla in the room in terms of transportation is funding. There are a lot of contributing factors to the transportation budget mess. A few of my favorites:

• Policymakers seem more excited to build new things than maintaining what they’ve already got
• Out of date taxation structures
• Political manipulation enabling habits costlier to society (and transportation infrastructure)

There also appears to be some confusion as to what contributes to the degradation of road infrastructure. Virtually universally, damage to systems is caused by weight. As long as weight is the issue, a gasoline or VMT tax will not equitably raise sufficient funds to fix crumbling roads. Regardless of whether or not the Prius is sufficiently contributing it’s “fair share” of gas tax, the Prius has a negligible effect on the road… just like my Cavalier, just like my husband’s Civic, just like my old college roommate’s Neon. Should these users contribute to maintenance? Absolutely. We all benefit from nice infrastructure.

However, the fact is that heavy trucks are what do the most damage to the roads. This is widely enough known that I’ve even had truckers tell me this without provocation. Long-haul trucking is also notoriously inefficient for moving goods. In terms of fuel per mile, your best bet is to go by train (which also keeps the damage off the roads). Where trucks excel is the fact they don’t need rail and they can often move things faster.

But let’s look back in time. There was a time when trucks weren’t an option. Goods were shipped efficiently by train and the last mile problem was solved by buggy, bicycle, or feet. Today, that last mile could be fulfilled by trucks. If our freight strategy was intermodal, I doubt any jobs would be lost, but, for example, trucking would be a local affair, intended to fill the holes and deliver to the doors of business not on the rail line. I like this strategy, as well, because it means so many truckers would not have to spend sometimes weeks on end away from home.

Moving more freight to rail would extend the life of the road network. It could buy additional years between repaving. Furthermore, it would stimulate the railroad industry while making the trucking business more desirable for those interested in the job but fearful of the time spent away from family. However, the trucking lobby has very effectively built its current niche by making friends in Washington as well as state capitols everywhere.

If we can’t find a way to reduce the damage to the roads cause by heavy vehicles, it seems most equitable to tax them more for the damage done because of the weight. The unfortunate side effect to this, however, is that costs would likely be handed down to the consumer when you shop for things like groceries and clothes because, as the saying goes, if you bought it, a trucker brought it.

Of course, the alternative is that we just toll every limited access highway in the United States. Based on the feedback I hear on the Pennsylvania Turnpike… that’d be the least preferred means of handling the mounting costs for transportation. Additionally, we could start removing some roads. While every politician wants a nice, shiney interstate highway running through the middle of their district, it is ultimately more mileage that must be maintained, with money we’re not sure how to get.