Highway Funding

Infrastructure Watch previously posted about the dwindling Highway Trust Fund.  One of the reasons this fund has shrunk is that it is supported by taxes on gasoline.  Improvements in fuel efficiency and changes in driving habits have reduced revenues from gas taxes.

This is issue for states as well as the federal government.  Like the Highway Trust Fund, most state highway revenues come from gas taxes.  At all levels of government, people are looking for alternative sources of revenue.  Some of the proposals include increasing gas taxes, sales taxes, miles-traveled taxes, increasing fees, and new or increased tolls.

Increased Gas Tax

One approach is to simply increase the tax on gas.  In 13 states, it has been 20 years or more since the gas tax has changed.

Sales Tax

Some states are looking at supplementing highway funding with a sales tax.  Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell has gone so far as to propose eliminating his states gas tax and replacing it with a sales tax to support transportation.  Though no other state has considered going so far, many have looked at increased or new sales taxes to supplement funds for highways.

Miles-Traveled Tax

The gas tax has some relation to road use because the more you drive the more gas you use.  Several states have looked at the possibility of directly taxing for roads based on use.  The difficulty of such a tax is that there needs to be a mechanism of tracking and reporting miles traveled.

Fees

Most states have fees for motor vehicle registration.  Some are considering increasing these fees and dedicating them completely to transportation.  It seems unlikely that these fees alone could replace losses in gas tax revenue.

Tolls

Tolls are a longstanding method of road funding.  One suggestion for raising road revenues is to increase toll and institute tolls on free roads.

Related posts and articles

Highway Trust Fund Running Out of Money (Infrastructure Watch, Feb. 9, 2012)

New tax hikes eyed for roads, transit (Copeland, L., USA Today, Jan. 28, 2012)

Time to tweak gas taxes? States weigh options (Copeland, L., USA Today, Jan. 28, 2012)

Quick Hits: Highway Funding (Infrastructure Watch, Jan. 22, 2013)

Public Input Sought on Missouri Impaired Waters List

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released its proposed decision on Missouri’s 2008 list of impaired waters. EPA is approving Missouri’s listing of 273 waters as impaired, and the delisting of 10 water bodies. EPA is requesting public comment on its proposed decision to add or restore a total of 17 water bodies and corresponding pollutants to the list.

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources submitted its 2008 impaired waters list to EPA for review and approval. The Clean Water Act and federal regulations require EPA to review the state’s list to determine if the state reasonably considered existing and readily available water quality-related data and information, and reasonably identified waters to be listed.

EPA is proposing to relist several water bodies that were excluded from listing or removed from Missouri’s list. These proposed additions to the list include waters found to be impaired by bacteria, chloride, metals, sediments and other pollutants.

The public notice link appears on the EPA Region 7 Homepage. The comment period ends October 5, 2009.The cover letter to the state and the decision document are available on the Legal Documents in the News page. The public notice is available under Water Public Notices. Additional supporting documentation is available upon request by contacting Carol Taylor, Water Quality Management Branch, EPA Region 7, 901 N. 5th Street, Kansas City, KS 66101, taylor.carold@epa.gov, (913) 551-7638 or toll-free (800) 223-0425.

You can read the original EPA news release here.

Transportation & Water Update

TRANSPORTATION

New Transportation Director for Missouri

The Missouri Highway and Transportation Commission has selected Patrick McKenna to serve as director of the state Department of Transportation (MoDOT). Presently, McKenna is deputy commissioner of the New Hampshire DOT. He will start his new job on December 7.

He will start his new job at an agency facing many challenges, particularly low revenues.  MoDOT has not significant improvement or expansion projects slated for the next five years because of lack of funding. The agency anticipates it will not even have enough money to fully maintain roads and bridges in the state within a couple of years.

McKenna will be coming from a different environment. New Hampshire raised its fuel tax in 2014. It also has toll roads; Missouri has none, though McKenna has suggested it should be on the table as a way to pay for roads.

You can find out more about McKenna and his appointment in the Kansas City Star, Jefferson City News-Tribune, or St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

WATER

California Communities Consider Direct Potable Reuse

The drought in California has led to a discussion of direct potable reuse of wastewater. This “toilet-to-tap” practice involves sending treated wastewater directly to treatment for drinking water. Some Texas communities have already adopted this practice as a response to drought. You can find out more here.

Heat Hard on Infrastructure

The extended hot dry weather in much of the United States is taking its toll on our infrastructure.  Roads are buckling, barge traffic is limited, water supplies are under watch, electrical supplies are strained by demand.  A US Airways jet even got stuck in a melting runway.  Links to several articles on this subject are listed below.

Global Warming Imperils Nation’s Energy System (National Wildlife Federation)

Heat is Making Roads Crack (Essley, L., Washington Examiner, July 6, 2012)

Mississippi River Low-Water Mark is a Concern for Shippers (Belz, A., Minneapolis Star Tribune, July 31, 2012)

Mississippi River Runs Low as Drought Grips St. Louis Region (Gustin, G., St. Louis Post Dispatch, July 17, 2012)

Mississippi Rivers So Low, Cargo Barges Rund Aground (Sainz, A., & Mohr, H., Associated Press on NBCNew.com, July 16, 2012)

The Not So Mighty Mississippi: How the River’s Low Water Levels are Impacting the Economy (Sanburn, J., Time, July 30, 2012)

So, How Hot Was It? (Wald, M. L., Green blog at New York Times, July 17, 2012)

State Works Quickly to Patch U.S. 50 (Thompson, C., Baltimore Sun, July 9, 2012)*

U. S. Infrastructure in Disarray Due to Extreme Weather, Climate Change (Common Dreams, July 26, 2012)

Weather Extremes Expose Flaws in America’s Crumbling Infrastructure (Nisen, M., Business Insider, July 26, 2012)

Weather Extremes Leave Parts of U.S. Grid Buckling (Wald, M. L., & Scwartz, J., New York Times, July 25, 2012)

*Incidentally, Infrastructure Watch is close to U.S. 50, though a very long drive from Baltimore.

Book Review: The Brooklyn Bridge by Judith St. George

St. George, Judith. The Brooklyn Bridge: They Said It Couldn’t Be Built. New York: Putnam, 1982.

Published shortly before the centennial of the Brooklyn Bridge, this book is a short history of bridge. The story of the bridge is necessarily the story of the Roeblings, the family responsible for designing the bridge and overseeing its construction.



When the builders completed the bridge in 1883, it was at the end of 14 years of construction. The plan for the bridge went back further to 1857 when engineer and German immigrant John Roebling first proposed a bridge across the East River to connect New York to Brooklyn. At the time, the only communication across the river was by ferry. Roebling was the leading suspension bridge engineer in the United States.

The bridge would not get needed support until after the Civil War. In the mean time, Roebling’s son Washington would be come a skilled engineer in own right, studying Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, getting a practical education working with his father and studying bridge-building techniques in Europe in the company of his wife, Emily. He also was trained in leadership, having risen to the rank of colonel in the Army during the Civil War.

The bridge took a great toll on the Roeblings. John was killed by tetanus early in the development of the project. Washington’s health was ruined by caisson’s disease (the bends) and for many years Emily acted as his hand, feet, eyes and ears on the bridge project.

St. George’s brief book is a quick read, but for its brevity still a good overview of the bridges development and construction. It includes several photos and illustrations. It seems suitable for younger readers, but is not too simplistic for an adult reader who wants a quick introduction to the bridge and its early history.

If you’re interested in this book, you may also be interested in
Dreams of Iron and Steel by Deborah Cadbury