In Georgia and Washington, D.C., serious conversations are taking place about transportation — in particular, how the critical infrastructure projects that manage traffic, ensure safety and protect our economy will be funded in the future.
While Georgia’s population and congestion continue to grow, transportation funding from current sources steadily declines. At the same time, the solvency of the Federal Highway Trust Fund is at risk, as is the reauthorization of a long-term federal highway bill — both of which have a direct and significant impact on our state funding strategy.
Recently, the Georgia General Assembly passed a bill sponsored by House Transportation Chairman Jay Roberts, R-Ocilla, and Senate Transportation Chairman Steve Gooch, R-Dahlonega, that creates a much-needed joint legislative study committee on critical transportation infrastructure funding.
In Washington, Congress is considering, among other things, the future of the motor fuel tax as well as transportation reauthorization proposals from both President Barack Obama and House Ways and Means Chairman Dave Camp. Both plans rely heavily on corporate tax reform as a foundation. We applaud Georgia House Speaker David Ralston and Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle for the Legislature’s leadership on this issue, and hope that spirit of cooperation will extend to Washington.
In both cases, we hope leaders will develop a path forward that is innovative, multi-modal and focused not only on the next five years, but the next 25 years of transportation investment. This will not be easy, and it will require bipartisan cooperation. But the impact of whatever outcome is reached is critical not only for Georgia, but for our nation.
Neither discussion can be had in a silo. In the United States, each level of government has an interrelated role in infrastructure development, operation and maintenance. Local governments own and maintain the roads that feed into state-owned highways. Those highways feed into the national interstate system and connect to our ports and airports. State and federal governments work together on research and standards so that roads and bridges are properly inspected, and they collaborate on plans that ensure transit expansion across the country meets the needs of our communities.
Over the past ten years, 62 percent of Georgia’s transportation spending has come from the federal highway trust fund, or the motor fuel tax, which continues to decline in real value. Other states face the same issue. Also, U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx noted recently that more than 1,000 of America’s bridges are over 60 years old and in need of repair. This is a serious national problem with major consequences for public safety and, ultimately, our place in the world economy.
Improving road safety, funding repairs, expanding infrastructure and providing viable transportation options are all critical to any state’s economic growth.
As this conversation continues, we encourage our state and federal elected officials to take a thoughtful approach to our transportation challenges — an approach that addresses our most critical needs while planning for the future. It is our hope that, rather than rhetoric, the coming months will include a constructive dialogue about how we can create a transportation system for generations to come.
Ernest L. Greer is chairman of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce. Michael Sullivan is chairman of the Georgia Transportation Alliance.
