The national Highway Trust Fund is nearing its own fiscal cliff, with many experts stating it could become insolvent by the end of the month. Our elected representatives in Washington continue a seemingly never-ending argument about a long-term solution, effectively running for political cover by pushing any action until after election. Unfortunately, this does nothing to alleviate the fact that America is crumbling, quite literally, as roads and bridges from sea to shining sea are falling apart.
It is interesting that most Americans who have weighed in on this topic seem to agree that significantly increased funding for our infrastructure is a necessity, yet no new investment has occurred as of yet. Maybe this delay is a good thing, as we’ve seen with other national issues—cough, Affordable Care Act, cough—simply throwing money at a problem without a properly framed vision can lead to confusion and misaligned expectations.
The lack of such a vision was quite clear the other day as we read an opinion piece on CNN.com. Its author very nicely outlined her call for increased investment in our nation’s infrastructure, and we wholeheartedly agree that this must occur.
Unfortunately, the reasons given as to why we should increase our investment in infrastructure left much to be desired. Indeed, the only clear reason given was that increased funding will reduce and/or eliminate travel delays. The author recounted how one concerned group created the I’m Stuck app to allow frustrated travelers to share their transportation vexation with lawmakers in hopes of pushing Washington to do something, and advised that “the next time you are frustrated with a travel delay or stopped in traffic, pull out your cell phone and tell Congress to do its job.”
Aside from not condoning playing with your smartphone while driving, we were also saddened that the goal of the article (a call to increase infrastructure investment) was supported by such outdated thinking about our transportation system. Any new investment in our roads and bridges should be made with an eye toward the future, not the past.
What does the transportation system of the future look like? Here are a few best practices that should be front and center in any vision for the future of American Roads:
- Streets Must Be Complete: Complete Streets is a philosophy of transportation planning and design that states all streets should accommodate all legal users of all ages and abilities. That means designing streets that fit the context of their surroundings and thinking about the people (not just the cars) who will use them. Freeways are meant for fast and efficient travel from one place to another and serve this purpose quite well. The main streets running through the heart of our cities and towns are meant for a greatly different purpose, that being to provide access to everything the community has to offer. Any new investment should be tied to policies that truly require every street be designed for vehicles, bicyclists, pedestrians and appropriate transit usage.
- Stop Chasing Demand: The major enduring tenant of traffic engineering in the 20th century was that of expanding roadways to meet future capacity needs. On the surface it seems logical to plan a roadway improvement to handle future vehicle needs, but it ignores a very important point about human beings…we’re all, well, human beings. What we mean is that human beings will take the route they perceive best suits their needs. What happens when a three-lane road is widened to five lanes to handle an increased vehicle capacity? You guessed it—more people start driving on it, thereby eating up all that new capacity we just built. Like a dog chasing its tail, the old way ignores the reality of induced demand and assumes that extra lanes can continue to be added without consequence in the future. We all know that’s not true, so why continue to spend our money on bad policy?
- Keep It Local: Let’s face it—there are services provided by the government that are best suited for state and/or federal control, and then there are those services best kept to the wants of the local community. The future fate of America’s roads and bridges belongs in the hands of those impacted by their decisions on a daily basis rather than those sitting in a state capital or in Washington. Instead of forcing communities to follow federal standards that are increasingly geared toward interstate freeway construction, we should allow communities to implement the guidelines provided by the American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) as they see fit.
Mark Twain is quoted as saying, “You cannot depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus.” Like many so-called Twain quotes, we have no idea whether he actually said it or not, but the point it makes is undeniable. We need a solid vision of the future American transportation system in place so we don’t miss this unique opportunity.