Are states building too many new facilities?

[PHLBOS]

Is this why Connecticut roads  might be better than their Rhode Island counterparts? I'm not sure what the difference in tax rates are, but I find cheaper gas in Rhode Island (and even cheaper gas in Mass. but my commute won't get close to Seekonk starting next month.)

Another issue with gas taxes is where are the monies actually going?  By that, I mean are such going to a dedicated highway or transportation fund (preferred) or is it being thrown into a catch-all general fund where the potential to use (more like raid) the monies towards other matters not at all related to transportation.  IIRC, both CT & RI are still doing such (throwing their gas tax monies into a general fund) have done such for decades.  Therein lies part of the problem.

[Henry]

Had all the urban freeways been built decades back, then yeah, we could say that. But now I'm arguing for the opposite: not enough roads to go around.

[J N Winkler]

Our roadway system is capital-starved with a longlist of at least 40 recognized freight bottlenecks.

Do you have more information on this? I'd be interested if so.

American Highway Users' Alliance top-50 list from 2015 (some of the bottlenecks listed, but by no means the majority, are receiving capacity expansions and other improvements)

Oklahoma DOT planning document (excerpt) that describes how bottlenecks are identified using HPMS data

American Transportation Research Institute's 2017 list of 100 top truck bottlenecks

Another issue with gas taxes is where are the monies actually going?  By that, I mean are such going to a dedicated highway or transportation fund (preferred) or is it being thrown into a catch-all general fund where the potential to use (more like raid) the monies towards other matters not at all related to transportation.

It should be noted that the lockbox approach is not inconsistent with occasional raids for other purposes.  Kansas has long dedicated fuel tax revenues to the highways but, before Brownback, occasionally borrowed from the highway account to balance the budget.  Such borrowings were typically small (I think the largest was $30 million under Sebelius) and repaid a few years later.  Under Brownback, however, we resorted to what the press called "the Bank of KDOT" to cover the budget gaps opened by the tax cuts.  Now $2 billion is outstanding, which has forced re-scoping of a $8 billion highway program, and it is currently an open question--under study by a state transportation investment taskforce--whether the money will be repaid.

In the early days of the fuel tax as the fiscal mainstay for highway construction and maintenance, a distinction was drawn between states that hypothecated as a matter of law and those that did so through constitutional amendment.  Kansas was apparently the first to resort to the latter, which is seen as committing the legislature more securely to a policy of spending highway user revenues only on the highways.  But I also think much depends on how the constitutional amendment is worded and enforced.  If the courts allow the legislature to loan itself money that is supposed to be used for the highways, then . . .

[kalvado]

Is this why Connecticut roads  might be better than their Rhode Island counterparts? I'm not sure what the difference in tax rates are, but I find cheaper gas in Rhode Island (and even cheaper gas in Mass. but my commute won't get close to Seekonk starting next month.)

Another issue with gas taxes is where are the monies actually going?  By that, I mean are such going to a dedicated highway or transportation fund (preferred) or is it being thrown into a catch-all general fund where the potential to use (more like raid) the monies towards other matters not at all related to transportation.  IIRC, both CT & RI are still doing such (throwing their gas tax monies into a general fund) have done such for decades.  Therein lies part of the problem.

Well, let me play devil's advocate:
Sales tax is a significant source of revenue for many states/localities, and is in fact a part of general tax. Multiple types of taxes are there for multiple reasons, and sales/VAT is an easy one to collect - one may consider it as a flat-rate part of income tax. So there is no reason to specifically exclude gas from the sales tax nor direct those funds anywhere outside general fund. And sales tax on gas in NY, for example, accounts to about 25-30% of all taxes collected on gas. 

In case of NYS we also have NYS Petroleum Business Tax and excise tax, and I have hard time trying to trace where they go.. But none of these is a specific road fuel tax...

[PHLBOS]

The issue with the gas tax going to a general (non-transportation) fund has more often than not turned into a robbing Peter to pay Paul scenario.  If motorists see their gas tax increases but don't see too much in terms of road/transportation improvements; they're going to get outright skeptical regarding future increases. 

Similar can be said regarding increasing or adding tolls.  I can list three major highway-related (non-earthquake-related) collapses that occurred on toll facilities.  Again, if there's even a perception of toll monies being misused/misappropriated; motorists are, again, going to be skeptical regarding any proposed toll increases and/or adding tolls onto existing free highways.

[6a]

I look at some of the projects being done in Columbus and think "Is this going to be enough?"  And there are some big time expansions all being done at the same time, not including a few that have recently wrapped up. I really think the growth of the area is outpacing the ability of the DOT to keep up.

How is Colombus's traffic?  Indy's is great, only a few bottlenecks, which is surprising for a city its size.

I don't have any stats to back this up; it's all just from experience. Columbus is worse than Indy, but not at the level of, say, Charlotte. And certainly nowhere near an Atlanta or Chicago.

A good part of our problem currently is the ongoing construction and expansion of the freeway system. Right now the entire length of I-71 from downtown south to just past I-270 is being widened, along with the interchange at 270 being reconfigured. A 7 mile stretch of I-270 on the west side is being widened. Work continues on the I-70/71 overlap downtown. US 33 is being widened SE of I-270.

Recently finished projects include I-270's exits with US 23 and SR 315, and I-270 and US 33 on the NW side all being reconfigured. I-70 near I-270 on the west side being widened, and I-71 widened further south of I-270, along with the exit at US 36/SR 37. That last one ended up with the exit-only lane being at least a mile long!

The biggest problem here is simply the amount of people moving in. At the 2010 census, the population gain in the city of Columbus alone (not metro area) made up for the losses for the rest of the top ten in the state. So while traffic certainly isn't unbearable here, it most definitely is getting worse. And there seems to be absolutely no will to explore any kind of mass transit.

[kalvado]

The issue with the gas tax going to a general (non-transportation) fund has more often than not turned into a robbing Peter to pay Paul scenario.  If motorists see their gas tax increases but don't see too much in terms of road/transportation improvements; they're going to get outright skeptical regarding future increases. 

Similar can be said regarding increasing or adding tolls.  I can list three major highway-related (non-earthquake-related) collapses that occurred on toll facilities.  Again, if there's even a perception of toll monies being misused/misappropriated; motorists are, again, going to be skeptical regarding any proposed toll increases and/or adding tolls onto existing free highways.

Well, there need to be a good understanding of gas-specific taxes vs general taxes on goods including gas.
Of course, when a tax increase is being discussed, someone would say that "a huge portion of gas tax goes into general fund!" - which is true... to some extent.

[silverback1065]

I look at some of the projects being done in Columbus and think "Is this going to be enough?"  And there are some big time expansions all being done at the same time, not including a few that have recently wrapped up. I really think the growth of the area is outpacing the ability of the DOT to keep up.

How is Colombus's traffic?  Indy's is great, only a few bottlenecks, which is surprising for a city its size.

I don't have any stats to back this up; it's all just from experience. Columbus is worse than Indy, but not at the level of, say, Charlotte. And certainly nowhere near an Atlanta or Chicago.

A good part of our problem currently is the ongoing construction and expansion of the freeway system. Right now the entire length of I-71 from downtown south to just past I-270 is being widened, along with the interchange at 270 being reconfigured. A 7 mile stretch of I-270 on the west side is being widened. Work continues on the I-70/71 overlap downtown. US 33 is being widened SE of I-270.

Recently finished projects include I-270's exits with US 23 and SR 315, and I-270 and US 33 on the NW side all being reconfigured. I-70 near I-270 on the west side being widened, and I-71 widened further south of I-270, along with the exit at US 36/SR 37. That last one ended up with the exit-only lane being at least a mile long!

The biggest problem here is simply the amount of people moving in. At the 2010 census, the population gain in the city of Columbus alone (not metro area) made up for the losses for the rest of the top ten in the state. So while traffic certainly isn't unbearable here, it most definitely is getting worse. And there seems to be absolutely no will to explore any kind of mass transit.

what happened to charlottes freeway system? the entire southeast side of town is missing freeway access to downtown.  did they cancel a ton of freeways back in the day?

[Beltway]

To be honest, WV is about done.
US 35 is a very necessary project and is nearing completion. 
The 6 lane of I-64 in eastern Putnam County is needed, but the rest is really adequate as is.

If the Turnpike is not at the point, it will soon be at the point, to where it has the traffic volumes to where it needs to be widened to 6 lanes throughout.

If so, the serpentine alignment thru the low valleys on the northern section, should be studied to see if a relocation at higher elevations would provide a straighter and more level alignment.  Expensive to build?  Yep.  But the need is fast approaching.

[Beltway]

American Highway Users' Alliance top-50 list from 2015 (some of the bottlenecks listed, but by no means the majority, are receiving capacity expansions and other improvements)

Good link!  This one was resolved in 2016, with the Parallel Midtown Tunnel and the MLK Freeway Extension --

38 - Virginia Norfolk US58 at Martin Luther King Fwy in Portsmouth

[TheHighwayMan3561]

MN probably needs another Mississippi crossing or two between Minneapolis and St. Cloud. One of those crossings (planned to be located between MN 24 and MN 25) has been sitting in the toolchest for years, but another one closer to the northwest metro has also started being explored, though will probably not happen for decades.

[SP Cook]

If the Turnpike is not at the point, it will soon be at the point, to where it has the traffic volumes to where it needs to be widened to 6 lanes throughout.

If so, the serpentine alignment thru the low valleys on the northern section, should be studied to see if a relocation at higher elevations would provide a straighter and more level alignment.  Expensive to build?  Yep.  But the need is fast approaching.

The traffic volumes on the turnpike are actually similar to other four lane interstates.  The perception is caused by several issues:

- The construction of the 4 lane was totally malpracticed.  All of the other interstates in the mountains were mostly very rural areas and they blasted away with impunity.  On the turnpike they tried to keep the existing two lane, built to 1950s standards, open and mostly just built a second set of lanes, with vastly limited blasting.  Thus the dangerous northern third of the road, twisty and with no median, making it difficult to drive at actual interstate speeds; with any minor accident causing unacceptable delays. 

- The toll facilities are grossly inadequate and understaffed on heavy traffic times, such as holidays.  This is because the management is both corrupt and inept.  They do not care.

[MikieTimT]

Arkansas has the 18th largest road network, but comes up close to last in wealth in most measures.  They could stand to turn several rural state highways back to the counties in exchange for bridge building, but since it's near the center of the country, there will always be the need for many federal facilities to transit the state for those trying to get to other parts of the country.  And there are 3 areas of the state that are growing fairly rapidly, and of those, only Little Rock is well represented by its road network.  Jonesboro and NWA still need substantial improvement in facilities to prevent hamstringing their growth.