WASHINGTON – The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) is today beginning a new public outreach campaign entitled “The Benefits of Transportation: The Solutions State DOTs Bring to People & Their Communities.”
Designed to increase public awareness about the multitude of benefits transportation investment provides, this new national campaign uses an interactive map to link website visitors to transportation projects across the country – 10 projects in Missouri – that are reducing travel times, improving safety, protecting the environment, and boosting the economy.
All of the MoDOT projects cited have won regional or national awards in the last decade:
- Governor’s Focus On Bridges Program
- Project Freeway: US 60 Rogersville
- Columbia I-70 Bridges Design-Build Project
- Ozark County North Fork River Bridge Replacements following flood damage
- St. Louis Safety Improvements Design-Build Project
- Kansas City Divergabout Interchange
- Route 364/Page Avenue Phase 3
- Statewide Safe & Sound Bridge Improvement Program
- Route 5 Shared 4-Lane Highway
- Infrastructure Improvements for Downtown St. Louis
“The professionals working at state departments of transportation know these benefits first-hand, because they’re responsible for planning, designing, and building the transportation projects that keep America moving by car, truck, rail, bus, and bicycle,” said Jim Tymon AASHTO executive director. “This year will be pivotal for transportation because Congress must pass a new surface transportation bill before the current law expires at the end of September. The purpose of this campaign, website, and report are to help citizens understand the important connection between transportation investment and the benefits we experience today and into the future.”
Return on Investment
The Federal Highway Administration estimates that each dollar spent on road, highway, and bridge improvements results in an average benefit of $5.20 in the form of reduced vehicle maintenance costs, reduced delays, reduced fuel consumption, improved safety, reduced road and bridge maintenance costs, and reduced emissions as a result of improved traffic flow.
Similarly, the American Public Transportation Association estimates that the total long-term economic effect of “enhanced investment” in transit systems sustained over 20 years is in the range of 3.7 times the amount being spent annually.
“In addition to the general public, we encourage members of Congress and their staffs to use the website to inform constituents about the importance of transportation investment,” said Patrick McKenna, director of the Missouri DOT and AASHTO’s 2019-2020 president. “A wide range of transportation infrastructure projects are included within the report and on the website to demonstrate how these projects are providing real benefits to real people from coast to coast.”
Want to know how state DOTs are benefiting your state? Visit http://benefits.transportation.org