U.S. states will need to shoulder additional cost burdens for repairing or replacing aging transportation infrastructure, predicts a Jan. 19 report by Moody’s Investors Service. States that are currently dealing with a large maintenance burden and transportation project backlog may struggle to meet these needs, including West Virginia, whose state department of transportation is facing a $4 billion backlog (63 percent of annual revenues). Author Julius Vizner, Moody’s AVP-Analyst, predicts that states will still be central in transportation funding even if a federal plan is created under Present Donald Trump’s administration. Read More>>

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam (R) on Jan. 25 warned that delays on a transportation revenue increase could result in the delay of nearly 1,000 road and bridge projects. Read More>>

South Carolina Department of Transportation Secretary Christie Hall stated Jan. 23 that the agency is facing a $1.1 billion funding gap, with rural road safety improvements one of their top objectives in the event of new funding. Read More>>

Wisconsin Assembly Republicans on Jan. 19 called for $300 million in new transportation revenue to be included in the upcoming biennial budget, with equivalent tax cuts included elsewhere in the budget. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R- Rochester) did not specify which transportation-related taxes or fees would increase, or what other taxes would be lowered to balance the increase. Read More>>

Did you miss these articles?

  •  TIAC is already tracking 22 transportation funding bills in nine states. Get the details in the updated report.
  • Gasoline consumption grew by 2.5 percent nationally in Sept. 2016. Read the post.