Pot Hole Season Highlights Poor Road Funding
By Nick Gale, WLS-Am 890 News
(AURORA, Ill.) — With Spring comes “pothole season” and the reminder that Illinois roads aren’t really in good shape.
AAA – The Auto Club Group recently conducted a poll that found over 60 percent of Illinoisans believe current transportation funding is not adequate to maintain roadways in their current condition. Nearly three quarters of Illinois residents rate the quality of roads and bridges in the state as Fair (47 percent) or Poor (26 percent).
Although the majority of Illinoisans don’t think funding is adequate, when asked how to increase funding dollars for transportation, no clear consensus emerged.
“We support raising the Federal Fuel Tax as a viable short term solution, provided the funds are used for transportation improvements, but we also have to look at long term solutions,” said AAA spokeswoman Beth Mosher.
Moser says those long term solutions include looking at additional tolls and an increase in the state motor fuel tax, which she admits is unpopular. But she says consider that potholes cost drivers in the U.S. $3 billion annually.
“So unfortunately we’re paying for problems related to bad roads on the back end.”
Illinois roadways received a “D” or Poor rating from the American Society of Engineers. In their infrastructure report card, ASCE states that Illinois motorists are paying a combined $4.8 billion a year or $566 per motorist in vehicle repairs due to poor road conditions.
Lawmakers in Springfield are considering doubling the state’s motor fuel tax from .19 cents to .38 cents per gallon.
Some lawmakers say a tax hike would hurt working class families.
Copyright 2019, WLS-AM News
