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June 1, 2011

Taxpayers for Common Sense and Smart Growth America released a report highlighting smarter investments in road repair and preservation that saves taxpayer dollars and strengthens America’s infrastructure investments. The Repair Priorities: Transportation Spending Strategies to Save Taxpayer Dollars and Improve Roads report offers numerous recommendations at both the state and federal level to prevent continued deterioration of the nation’s roadways, while at the same time ensuring taxpayers are protected.

Federal Recommendations:

“Encouraging state spending patterns that favor repair and preservation will make the most of federal investments in America’s roads. The federal government should establish criteria and performance standards for the overall condition of federal-aid highways. States meeting these goals should be allowed to use preservation and renewal program funds for other transportation purposes. States that fail to meet these performance standards, however, would be required to use more of these funds for repair and preservation until their roads achieve a state of good repair. This would help ensure that highways operate efficiently, while informing citizens and elected officials of progress in improving the condition of their highways. This transparency can be further enhanced by requiring states to periodically update their plans for getting highways to or keeping them above performance standards and reporting to Congress on this progress. ”