Rising Traffic Volumes Reaffirm the Need for Infrastructure Investment: FHWA

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) isn’t pulling any punches with the conclusion it draws from the latest figures for U.S. traffic volumes, which show “a streak of steadily increasing vehicle miles travelled (VMT) that began in 2011.”

FHWA points out that U.S. drivers logged more than 1.58 trillion miles in the first six months of 2017. This is the equivalent of more than 8,500 round trips from the Earth to the Sun. The 280.9 billion miles Americans drove in June represented a 3.4-billion-mile increase over the same month last year.

Apart from marveling at a trend that seems destined never to end, FHWA does a great job of connecting the dots to the day in, day out logistics and infrastructure required to keep America moving forward.

“The increase in driving over the first half of the year highlights the growing demands challenging the nation’s roads, and reaffirms the importance of improving the nation’s infrastructure investments and streamlining the environmental and permitting processes,” the agency states.

That recognition is particularly important as Congress—and the rest of the country—move into a fall legislative season that may yet produce positive movement in the direction of a significant federal infrastructure program.

No one should expect that process to be quick or easy. But with FHWA’s own numbers tracking the constantly-rising demand for reliable mobility, it makes sense for elected representatives to seize the moment.

That means making best use of methods like tolling and road usage charging that increase the pool of funds required for urgently-needed maintenance, refurbishment, and new capacity on America’s roadways.

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