|
|
| AASHTO Press
Release |
|
Sunny Mays
Schust
(202)
624-5800
Friday, June
14, 2002 09:48 AM |
 |
| New Highway Construction Averages 21
Miles Per State |
|
|
New roadway
under construction using federal funds in 2000 totaled 1,072 miles,
or an average of 21 miles per state,
according to recently released data from the Federal Highway
Administration.
A look at the 26,796
miles of multi-year federal-aid roadway projects initiated since
1996 shows that 83 percent preserve the current system, while only
17 percent add any capacity through such steps as new lanes or lane
widenings.
"It's little wonder
congestion is increasing nationwide," said John Horsley, Executive
Director of the American Association of State Highway and
Transportation Officials (AASHTO). "States have not been able to
invest enough in new capacity to keep up with traffic growth. Our
population grew by 31 million people since 1990, and the miles
traveled on our highways grew 30 percent – from 2.15 trillion to
2.75 trillion. At the same time our highway system grew by only 1.8
percent."
"It will require more
resources to meet both preservation and new capacity needs – and it
takes too long to get these projects through the approval process.
We hope to address this during Congressional reauthorization of the
Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century next year," Horsley
said.
"Surveys show Americans want
congestion relief," Horsley said. "And state transportation
departments are tackling the problem in many ways. These include new
construction where practicable, technology to increase system
performance and reliability, and support for more transit, where
that makes sense."
Census data
released earlier this month also indicate that on average, commuters
spent an extra six minutes per day traveling to and from work in
2000, compared with times recorded in the 1990 census. Stated in
terms of individuals' time, this increased commuting duration means
Americans are adding more than one full, 24-hour day a year to
commutes that absorb nearly nine days a year, taken altogether, for
the average working person.
Nationwide mean commute times in 1980 averaged 21.7
minutes, in 1990, 22.4 minutes, and in 2000, 25.5
minutes.
"A variety of transportation
options are needed," Horsley said. "But with more than 90 percent of
U.S. travel being done by private vehicle, we have to recognize the
demand for new capacity, and find a way to meet
it."
State-by-state journey-to-work
averages from the censuses of 1980, 1990 and 2000 are attached. Also
attached is a chart from the Federal Highway Administration that
shows federal-aid projects by category of improvement. Federal-aid
funding comprises only one-fifth of the total highway funding spent
annually by all levels of government.
Information obtained from the Federal Highway
Administration is available on the web at under the "search"
category.
A PDF of this release is
also available:
![]() |
| |