High demand, but very low funding for transportation investments

Virginia governor Tim Kaine and Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters spoke at the State Summit on Innovative Transportation Funding and Financing.

Kaine said that every state is struggling to find funding for infrastructure. He said that Virginia has the third largest state-managed road system, but is underinvested in rail and public transportation. He said that with Virginia’s great dependence on roads, the aging highway system, and rising construction costs, new funding solutions are necessary. He predicted that gas prices would continue to rise, making investments in alternative transportation an urgent initiative.

Secretary Peters also said that every state is struggling to keep up with the demand for transportation investments. She said a population that is increasingly against raising taxes, especially the gas tax, makes finding funds very difficult. She said that Americans do not believe that an increase in the gas tax will translate to more efficient transportation. To help with the funding crisis, she plans to increase state rather than federal control of transportation funding and decrease federal restrictions on toll roads.