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Special Comments
- University Press of New England
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- Additional Information
Special Comments hon. james l. oberstar, Chairman, U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure There be three things which make a nation great and prosperous: a fertile soil, busy workshops, easy conveyance for men and goods from place to place. —Sir Francis Bacon (1561–1626) The U.S. surface transportation network, unmatched by any other in the world, is the backbone of the nation’s economy. It has provided American businesses and consumers with enormous economic competitive advantages and access to markets over the course of the past century. In recent years, however, the commitment to make long- term surface transportation investments has eroded. In the absence of the political will to make these badly needed investments, we continue to watch as the condition and performance of the system deteriorate and our competitive advantage on the world stage slips. Nearly sixty years after much of the interstate highway system was constructed in the 1950s and 1960s, we are now seeing many facilities become stretched to the limit of their design life and beyond. The world- class surface transportation system passed on by previous generations of Americans has reached the age of obsolescence and now needs to be rebuilt. Mounting costs just to maintain these assets are consuming a growing share of the nation’s overall investment in surface transportation infrastructure. Meanwhile, the demands placed on the network and the cost to address new challenges continue to grow more rapidly each year. In its final report, issued in January 2008, the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission identified the deterioration from aging and use as “one of the greatest threats to the nation’s surface transportation network.” Today, nearly half (43 percent ) of all vehicle miles traveled are on roadways that are not rated as xii Special Comments “good” for ride quality. Over 150,000 bridges—one of every four in the United States—are structurally deficient or functionally obsolete. We have taken surface transportation infrastructure for granted in the United States, and we are seeing the consequences of that attitude. The American public and our growing economy have demanded a lot from our roads and bridges over the years, and the system can no longer stand the strain. As Barry LePatner writes in this book, “America is always about the next new thing. We build beautifully. But building brings with it responsibility that extends long past the date when a project is completed and put into use. Our record of maintaining what we build is less than beautiful.” According to the u.s. Department of Transportation, the federal government’s annual investment is less than two- thirds of what is needed just to maintain our roads and bridges in their present condition , let alone begin making improvements. Unfortunately, infrastructure is not like fine wine. It does not improve with age. As LePatner points out, we do not save money by deferring maintenance. As infrastructure is allowed to deteriorate, the cost of maintenance and repair climbs, and the longer we wait, the faster and higher it climbs. It is time to take responsibility for these conditions, and to make the needed investments to maintain the system we currently enjoy and to build the twenty- first- century system that America demands. LePatner’s book should sound the alarm for anyone—in and out of government—who uses and values our national transportation assets . We must develop the political will and the sense of urgency to get the job done, or suffer a crippling blow to our economy, our national standing, and our way of life. ...