R.I. transportation needs outstrip current funding

Rising gas prices have already made joyriding an expensive proposition, but soon the cost could climb even higher as state governments begin to tackle aging bridges and roadway infrastructure.
In the Ocean State the repair bill could soon mean higher fees at the R.I. Division of Motor Vehicles, toll booths on state highways or an increase in the state gasoline tax. Transportation officials estimate that to pay for all the needed infrastructure work over the next decade, funding would have to be increased by $285 million a year – for a total of $639 million a year.
“Virtually every state is facing the same challenge,” Department of Transportation Director Michael Lewis said at a Sept. 15 meeting in Lincoln of Gov. Donald L. Carcieri’s Blue Ribbon Panel on Transportation Funding. “Massachusetts is facing a $19-million deficit. California – well, I can’t even think about those numbers.”
In July, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials issued a report which estimated that the cost to repair or modernize all of the country’s bridges could top $140 billion. Postponing those repairs could mean more traffic jams, higher costs down the road or possibly another catastrophe.
In Rhode Island, Carcieri has
responded by appointing the panel to help the state brainstorm new funding ideas. The panel, which includes both business representatives and government officials, is now holding a series of public hearings across the state. The final two dates are Sept. 23, 7 p.m., at the University of Rhode Island in South Kingstown and Sept. 25, 7 p.m., at Rhode Island College in Providence.
“We’re going to have to put more emphasis on preventive maintenance,” Lewis told a crowd of 50 people at the Sept. 15 hearing. He showed slides of several Rhode Island bridges with crumbling concrete, rusting beams and temporary reinforcements, and tossed out some data that demanded attention.
There are 772 bridges in Rhode Island; the average age is 50 years old. Of that number, 164 are considered “structurally deficient” and 61 now have posted weight limits. While most of those deficient bridges are currently considered safe, that could change without attention to repairs in the near future. At the same time, 200 bridges must be rebuilt to handle today’s traffic efficiently.
Neglect has also effected pavement on state roadways. Only 12 percent of state roads are in top condition; 16 percent are considered poor. For more than half the roads, pavement is breaking or cracking to the point where they are in fair condition or worse.
Lewis went on to explain that the state’s transportation budget has not kept pace with rising costs. Because of climbing global demand for steel, cement, asphalt, and other materials, inflation of construction costs is three times the rate of general inflation.
Currently, the state is spending about $354 million a year. Of that, $216 million comes from the federal government; $94 million from the state gas tax and $40 million from bonds issued by the state. The state Department of Transportation gets no money from tolls or DMV fees. State taxes cover only 27 percent of transportation costs in Rhode Island; the national average is 63 percent.
The financial squeeze is also hitting the R.I. Public Transit Authority, which faces a $10 million deficit.
“Unless we restructure, the gap will grow,” Lewis said. “What happens if nothing changes? As gas-tax receipts remain flat and as construction costs increase, it will mean more bridges with posted weight limits. Paving on state roadways will continue to deteriorate. Transportation projects will be deferred year after year. It will affect transportation safety, air quality, and congestion mitigation.”
The panel is now mulling several options, according to Lewis. They include: increasing registration fees, increasing license fees, raising the gas tax and putting toll booths on some state highways. Another idea involves taxing vehicles on the mileage traveled each year.
Some in the crowd offered suggestions as well.
Barry Schiller, who formerly served the RIPTA board of directors, offered several ideas, including: toll booths on the I-Way, higher DMV fees for heavier cars and a parking space surcharge.
State Rep. Raymond C. Church, D-North Smithfield, warned that any spending increase will likely be hard to sell. “People complain about potholes,” he said, “but if you ask them to spend more money, I don’t think the public really cares about transportation.” &#8226