President Barack Obama entered the debate last week, outlining a proposal to frontload a six-year reauthorization bill with an additional $50 billion for transportation infrastructure during the next year. (see Sept. 10 AASHTO Journal story)

House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman James Oberstar, D-Minnesota, voiced support for Obama's proposal this week. Oberstar called the administration's plan a step in the right direction toward creating a $500 billion six-year reauthorization for highway, bridge, transit, and high-speed-rail programs.

"President Obama demonstrated that he is serious about making transportation a top priority in his administration," Oberstar told MinnPost.com. "He is the first president in decades to tackle this issue head on."

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials has released a series of three reauthorization policy reports this year identifying a need for greater federal investment to increase capacity in America's surface transportation system.

AASHTO Executive Director John Horsley said the association has provided solid information in the "Transportation Reboot" series of reports that can help guide Congress in drafting investment levels and priorities for the next reauthorization bill.

"We are very supportive of the president's plan to include an additional $50 billion for infrastructure improvements in next year's spending," Horsley said. "Many of the projects listed in these three reports are ready to go and badly needed by the states to improve capacity and decrease congestion on America's roads. Increased upfront funding for infrastructure in the next year, as the president has recommended, would be a valuable asset to the states in moving these numerous projects forward."

States Outline Unfunded Critical Transportation Improvements

In this series of AASHTO reports, state transportation leaders have identified their most urgently needed capacity expansion projects that are critical to rebuilding the economy and creating hundreds of thousands of jobs across the country.

The first in the series, "Transportation Reboot: Unlocking Gridlock," shows how population growth and related congestion are straining existing transportation networks. The report offers state-by-state examples of highway capacity needs in metropolitan regions. In Texas, for example, an estimated $300 billion in new funds are needed to provide roads for an expected population boom during the next 30 years, according to the Texas Transportation Commission.

That report outlines a four-part approach to improving the nation's transportation system that includes: preserving and modernizing the system; improving its performance; getting cars off the roads and shifting to other modes of transportation; and adding needed highway capacity where other options are not feasible to accommodate demand.

The second in the series, "Transportation Reboot: Unlocking Freight," reveals that the transportation system that supports the movement of freight across America is facing a crisis. The nation's highways, railroads, ports, and waterways require investments well beyond current levels to maintain -- much less improve -- their performance. Millions of jobs and the country's long-term economic health are at risk.

"Unlocking Freight" identifies key projects in 30 states that would improve freight delivery and dependability. It offers a three-point plan to address what is needed to relieve freight congestion, generate jobs, and improve productivity.

The final report, "Transportation Reboot: Connecting Rural and Urban America," shows that more investment is needed in America's rural transportation system to keep agriculture, new energy products, and freight moving; improve access for the travel, recreation, and tourism industries; connect new and emerging cities; and to ensure reliable access to key defense installations.

This report found that 66 cities with populations of 50,000 or more -- including one state capital -- do not have immediate access to the Interstate Highway System, and that during the next 30 years, 80% of the nation's population growth is expected to concentrate in the South and West.

Together, these three reports outline in detail the capacity needs in America over the next 50 years as the population continues to expand, putting more cars and trucks on the roads.

"Armed with these reports, Congress should have the evidence it needs to see that transportation infrastructure is something that requires a significant boost in federal investment," Horsley said. "A long-term reauthorization bill is the best way to provide states with the money they need to add capacity to the nation's roads and transit systems as well as to develop a high-speed rail network on par with Asian and European nations."

All three reports and examples of state capacity needs are available at expandingcapacity.transportation.org.