Steve Peterson: U.S. infrastructure needs long-term fix

The situation relating to Washington’s roads and public transit systems is going from bad to worse. This is obvious almost every time you drive down one of our highways, across one of our bridges or travel on our bus system. It’s also a key reason our state lawmakers raised the gas tax by 7 cents. Yet, somehow, policymakers in Washington are oblivious to our situation.

In July, after years of taking a short-term approach, the U.S. Senate finally passed a bill to fund the nation’s transportation systems for six years. However, the version passed by the U.S. House of Representatives funds those systems only through October of this year.

With the pace at which the House is seeking to “fix” our ailing transportation infrastructure, you would think everything is fine but, actually, it’s far from it. Organizations including the nonprofit transportation research group TRIP, AAA, the American Farm Bureau Federation, U.S. Chamber of Commerce and U.S. Travel Association released a report on rural roads that reminded us just how bad the situation is, and the very real impact this situation has on communities in Washington and across America.

The report, “Rural Connections: Challenges and Opportunities in America’s Heartland,” evaluated the safety and condition of the nation’s rural roads and bridges, and found that rural roads and bridges in Washington have significant deficiencies. In 2014, 22 percent of Washington’s rural pavement was rated in poor condition, the 14th highest rate in the nation.

With all of their other priorities, the organizations involved in the report seem an unlikely quorum to advocate for rural roads. They provided varying perspectives on why the current situation is bad for our rural communities all over America.

AAA said:  “The 61 million people who live in America’s rural heartland deserve a transportation system that is safe, efficient and reliable. It is up to Congress to pass a fully funded, long-term bill to improve our nation’s rural roads before the Highway Trust Fund runs out of money this summer.”

The U.S. Travel Association said: “As conditions deteriorate, people are going to be less likely to travel. Additionally, if every traveler made just one fewer trip because of substandard roads, the cost to the economy would be $23 billion.”

And the view of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which also leads the Americans for Transportation Mobility Coalition, added:  “Years of inadequate transportation funding have left a deficient rural transportation network that does not meet present-day demands. Improving the transportation system will create jobs today and leave a lasting asset for future generations.”  

Washington’s bold move in raising the gas tax was critical to preventing the state’s infrastructure from falling into disrepair. It helps the situation, yet it mostly enables upkeep of our transportation system, rather than modernization of any kind. And there’s no assurance our rural roads will get the attention they deserve from this new state funding.

The TRIP report found the United States needs to adopt transportation policies that will improve rural transportation connectivity, safety and conditions. To accomplish this, the report makes practical recommendations including: modernizing and extending key routes to accommodate personal and commercial travel, improving public transit access to rural areas, and providing adequate funding for rural transportation assets. With long-term federal transportation legislation stuck in political gridlock in Washington, however, economic growth in rural communities in our own state and others could be threatened.

It’s time for Washington to tell our representatives to step up to the table and provide funding to ensure that the investments we are making at the state level will not be in vain. We must urge them to take funding for our rural roads – and all of our transportation infrastructure – seriously. No more delays, no more excuses.