Been thinkin' about highway funds

Anyone with a driver’s license knows that, over time, new highways develop cracks and potholes. Whether the pavement is concrete, asphalt or some kind of composite doesn’t matter, and even if no one uses it, after a while those cracks and potholes appear. The reason is that nature eats highways with freeze-thaw cycles and erosion. Depending upon whose study, statistics or facts you choose, somewhere between 40% and 60% of highway damage is caused by the environment. The rest of the damage is due to vehicles. That damage is due to "Foot print." Footprint is the relationship between a vehicle’s weight and the square inches of tire rubber on the pavement. Simply put, a passenger car does less damage to highways than an 80,000 pound 18 wheeler.

 The highway damage caused by passenger cars has nothing to do with what kind of engine is in the car and little to do with what kind of tire is on the car. What does make a difference is the weight of the car. Similarly, highway damage caused by trucks has nothing to do with what kind of engine is in the truck and little to do with what kind of tires are on the truck or its trailer. What does make a difference is that total weight of a truck and its trailer.

 The other significant part of highway damage is total milage. A car driven ten thousand miles in a year does less damage than a car driven twenty thousand miles.

 If North Carolina is going to fairly address the growing need to adequately fund our maintenance and new highway construction needs, our General Assembly should abandon the current highway funding system based upon gasoline and diesel prices and develop a system based upon vehicle weight and distance traveled.

 When my car was registered with the state its weight was recorded. When my vehicle is annually inspected the state knows exactly how many miles the car has been driven since the last inspection.

 I can pay my electric bill with monthly estimates and settle-up annually. Surely I can pay for my automobile use the same way.

 The devil is always in the details. Statistics often depend upon who paid for them and lobbyists exist to grease squeaky wheels. Significant change is usually resisted. Some will gain and some will lose. However, if North Carolina wants to stay a "Good Roads State" the Assembly needs to adopt a better way to fund our highways….do it fairly and do it soon!

 Esse Quam Videri