A Look Into The Ten Year Plan
Three Presentations Comparing in Depth the Ten Year Plan
The Associated General Contractors of New Hampshire (AGC of NH), a partner in the A Safer Road to Tomorrow Coalition, recently analyzed the proposed 2013-2022 Ten Year Transportation Improvement Plan (Ten Year Plan) to see how projected construction matches with projected construction. AGC of NH also analyzed the 2007-2016 Ten Year Plan and the 2011-2020 Ten Year Plan to provide reference points for comparison. The Executive Summary highlights the major findings of the analysis.
Click on the links below to view the three presentation reports and to read the full executive summary.
Executive Summary
2013-2022 Ten Year Plan
2011-2020 Ten Year Plan
2007-2016 Ten Year Plan
New Hampshire: A State of Disrepair
Video Presentation on the Crumbling Condition of NH's Infrastructure
Roads are the backbone to our economy. Below is a link to a short video presentation by NH Potholes to explain the disrepair our state's infrastructure is in and how the state has fallen behind.
TRIP Report on Rural Transportation
"Rural Connections: Challenges and Opportunities in America's Heartland"
America’s rural heartland is home to approximately 50 million people and its natural resources provide the primary source of the energy, food and fiber that supports the nation’s economy and way of life. But, according to a new report, the roads and bridges that serve and connect the nation’s rural areas face a number of significant challenges, including inadequate capacity to handle the growing levels of traffic and commerce, limited connectivity, the inability to accommodate growing freight travel, deteriorated road and bridge conditions, a lack of desirable safety features, and a traffic fatality rate far higher than all other roads and highways. The report, “Rural Connections: Challenges and Opportunities in America’s Heartland,” was released September 1, 2011 by TRIP, a national non-profit transportation research group based in Washington, D.C. It defines Rural America as all places and people living outside the primary daily commuting zones of cities with 50,000 people or more.
New Hampshire’s rural roads and bridges are among most deteriorated in the nation, rural traffic fatality rate thirteen times higher than on all other roads. “Ranked in the top twenty for the nation’s worst rural roads and bridges, it is clear that the State of New Hampshire needs to make these key pieces of our infrastructure a higher priority. The state’s Department of Transportation will soon begin planning the next Ten Year Transportation Improvement Plan, and I hope that projects to improve rural roads and bridges will be considered in response to this report,” stated Gary Abbott, executive vice president of the Associated General Contractors of New Hampshire. According to the TRIP report, America must adopt transportation policies that will improve rural transportation connectivity, safety and conditions to provide the nation’s small communities and rural areas with the level of safe and efficient access that will support quality of life and enhance economic productivity. This can be done, in part, by modernizing and extending key routes to accommodate personal and commercial travel, improving public transit access to rural areas, implementing needed roadway safety improvements, improving emergency response times, and adequately funding state and local transportation programs to insure sufficient preservation and maintenance of rural transportation assets.
Click on the links below to view the full report, media advisory, and press release.
Modern Mobility & How We Use Our Infrastructure
8-page First Installment on a Series of a Look into NH's Infrastructure
Modern Mobility & How We Use Our Infrastructure explores the role roads and bridges, aviation, mass transit, passenger rail and freight, and water infrastructure plays in our everyday lives. The booklet describes the defining characteristics of each system and usage by citizens.
A recurring theme throughout the booklet highlights the fact that without roads and bridges the other systems would not function as they do today. Roads and bridges provide the necessary link between all systems, and afford the most mobility for citizens. Roads and bridges are used each day as citizens commute to work, run errands, and perform other activities. Additionally, travel in private vehicles accounts for a large portion of all miles travelled in New Hampshire.
The A Safer Road to Tomorrow coalition believes this booklet will give readers a better understanding of what the infrastructure system provides us with. Without today’s infrastructure we would not have the technological advances or quality of life we depend on today.
Building America's Future: Falling Apart and Falling Behind
Federal Informative 48-page Transportation Infrastructure Report 2011
A new report by Building America’s Future highlights the inefficiencies of America’s infrastructure and how it impacts the economy. The report offers a comparison of the investments being made by the international competitors, as well as suggesting a new transportation policy. The report also shows that transportation investment in relation to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has been dwindling over the years. This indicates that infrastructure maintenance is not a top priority for the U.S. government. Leading to a conclusion that new transportation policies must be developed, the report provides the following recommendations:
- Adopt a 10-year national plan for making strategic investments in our nation’s infrastructure (with a focus on transportation).
- Pass a 6-year transportation bill updated to compete in the 21st century global economy that sets clear priorities and makes hard choices based on increasing economic return and mobility.
- Create a National Infrastructure Bank that can leverage private dollars and invest in the best big projects, including those that span state boundaries or encompass multiple modes of transportation, once the economy improves consider raising the nearly 20-year old federal gas tax and indexing it for inflation, and look at all the revenue options such as congestion pricing, carbon auctions, fees based on miles traveled, or reserves built into capital markets.
- Set clear criteria for all funding, encourage state and local innovation through competitive grants, streamline the project delivery process to ensure projects are started quickly, and carefully audit the results to ensure projects are completed on time, on budget, and yielding promised results.
Understanding the Gas Tax
Video Presentation on Funding and the Gas Tax
As the budget battle rages on in Washington, funding for some of America’s most important initiatives continues to stall. One example of this includes funding for transportation infrastructure. Below is a link to a short presentation to help the traveling public understand how infrastructure investments get funded in the U.S. and how the U.S. has fallen behind.
2011 ASCE New Hampshire Infrastructure Report Card
2011 Report Card on New Hampshire's Infrastructure
The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) recently released the 2011 New Hampshire Infrastructure Report Card. This new version updates the report card from 2006. Overall, the state has received a C, or fair rating, for its infrastructure. New Hampshire received this same grade in 2006. The state does fair better than the nation, which received a D- in 2009 for overall infrastructure.
The accompanying report highlights the current state of New Hampshire’s infrastructure, and recommendations to improve the systems.
Transportation: Funding New Hampshire's Needs
Informative 12-page booklet
Transportation: Funding New Hampshire’s Needs continues the A Safer Road to Tomorrow’s coalition mission into the 2011 year. Whether or not it is apparent, the transportation system makes modern day life possible. Commuting to work, taking vacations, or running simple errands would not be as easy today if this system did not exist. Additionally, our economy depends on new businesses coming to the state, accessible delivery routes, and tourism; all of which depend on a reliable transportation system. As the cracks on the roads become bigger, New Hampshire’s quality of life also shows cracks.
This booklet examines the role transportation plays in our everyday lives through foundations for improvement:
1. Improving the User Funding Model: Drivers who use the road should be fairly charged for the amount they use the system. NH already has a user-funding model in place, but there is room for improvement.
2. Addressing the Transportation Deficit: In ten years, the state will face a $1.2 billion cumulative deficit in the Highway Fund. This is if no action is taken to increase revenue sources.
3. Improving NH’s Economy Through Strategic Investments: Investing in projects that will improve the overall mobility of the state will propel NH forward.
4. Emphasizing the Importance of Infrastructure to Congress: Federal funding is a great aid to NH and its transportation projects. Greater communication can help the DOT better form its plan of action.
It is the coalition’s hope that this booklet will inspire New Hampshire’s lawmakers, both local and national, to continue to look for ways to fund, maintain, and improve the state’s transportation system.
If you are interested in reading the full report, you can view and download it below.
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TRIP Press Conference
"Moving NH Forward: The Condition and Funding of NH's Roads, Highways & Bridges"
On June 21, A Safer Road to Tomorrow participated in a press conference with The Road Information Program (TRIP) to release TRIP’s latest report on the road conditions in New Hampshire. “Moving New Hampshire Forward: The Condition and Funding of New Hampshire’s Roads, Highways, and Bridges” outlines the current problems with New Hampshire’s infrastructure, the important link between the economy and a well maintained infrastructure, and the current funding situation on a federal level.
Attending the press conference were Safer Roads partners, NH Chiefs of Police, NH Good Roads, the Business and Industry Association, and the Associated General Contractors of NH; Executive Councilor Ray Burton; Representatives Candace Bouchard and David Campbell; Department of Transportation Commissioner George Campbell; NH Automotive Dealers Association; Nashua Regional Planning Commission; the Road Agents Association; the Local Government Association/NH Municipal Association; the American Council of Engineering Companies; Pike Industries; and the Brain Injury Association.
Click on the links below to view the full report, media advisory, and press release.
Campaign Choice: Where Do You Stand on Transportation?
Informative 8-page booklet
Transportation is a priority for each American, and should be a top priority for our elected officials. Efficient transportation is a key component in the economic standing of a nation, allowing goods to travel quickly to their ultimate consumer. As globalization increases, the need for a quality transportation system grows as well.
“Campaign Choice: Where Do You Stand on Transportation” looks at the integral part our transportation system plays in our everyday life, and asks how our elected officials and those running for office plan to support it. The booklet touches federal and state funding, making the case that while both are running low on funding, neither branch can support the entire system on its own. The booklet tackles the numerous excuses for not increasing investments with commonsense responses that show that investing in our transportation system means investing in America.
Previous Safer Roads booklets have made the case for the need for investment, showing the growing deficit. This booklet tells the reader that now is the time to make the investment, and illustrates the many ways to make investment a reality and how it will benefit our nation.
If you are interested in reading the full report, you can view and download it below.
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Report Shows Deficient Roadways Cause More Accidents Than Alcohol
Informative 36-page booklet
The Transportation Construction Coalition (TCC), in conjunction with the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation (PIRE), has released a report which shows the connection between inadequate roads and accidents. It states that more than half of all highway fatalities can be linked to the poor road conditions. This number is greater than the number of fatalities caused by drunk-driving, speeding, and not wearing safety belts. Each year about 22,000 people die at a cost of $217 billion because of the deficient roads. The $217 billion can be translated into a taxpayer cost of $12 billion. The cost of the accidents is more than three times the amount of money the federal government is currently investing in roadway improvements.
In addition to highlighting the needs for infrastructure repair, the report also details several solutions. While several of the suggestions seem simple, the report also notes that significant road improvements are needed in most areas. This includes widening shoulders, replacing or widening narrow bridges, and clearing more space adjacent to roadways.
If you are interested in reading the full report, you can view and download it below.
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In The Red
Informative 8-page booklet
A state's infrastructure is its underlying foundation and basic framework. In New Hampshire, we all rely on our transportation infrastructure every day.
The Safer Roads booklet makes a strong case for the state to develop a financial plan to adequately fund the state's Ten Year Plan. The booklet very simply explains that our highway is now "in the red," showing what trends got us there, what have been their effects on our infrastructure, and what we are likely to see in the future if our past trends continue unaltered into the future. The booklet's conclusion is that the state needs to implement a financial plan to get us out of the red and on the road to a safe, sound transportation system.
We know that the consequences of not assertively formulating a financial plan will be far-reaching and touch on several important aspects of New Hampshire's quality of life. Tourism is the second largest industry in the state of New Hampshire. Further, the highway system is vital to the state's economy. And finally, safety is also impacted by infrastructure investment. The absence of adequate funding will diminish tourism, the economy, and safety in New Hampshire.
New Hampshire needs a long-term solution. Now is the time for choices. The difficult choice is for New Hampshire to develop a strategy that would attach the necessary cost to a transportation service or product in order to sufficiently finance a long-term solution for maintaining the state's infrastructure.
This 8-page booklet contains text and charts that present the case for an increase in infrastructure funding. Please take a moment and read through the history, facts, and statistics, and consider what choice the state's leaders should make in 2009.
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Rebuilding Our Neglected Roads: Sooner is Much Cheaper than Later!
Informative 16-page booklet
Just as there's no free lunch, neither is there a free ride. And nowhere is this more true than in the case of New Hampshire's highways and bridges. With each passing year our roadway infrastructure absorbs millions more vehicle miles, and quite predictably, with each passing year the maintenance tab for our highways and bridges grows larger, both at the state and municipal level. Yet, the funding for this rising maintenance remains essentially flat.
The state's Ten-Year Highway Plan, which is an excellent tool for managing our roads and bridges, is chronically under-funded and it is estimated that one-third of the plan's projects won't get done.
This 16-page booklet contains a lot of information, yet it only scratches the surface of a very large, statewide problem--our transportation infrastructure. Please take a few minutes and leaf through the eye-opening material it contains. And I also invite you to reflect on the profound importance of our highway and bridge system--and on what will happen if we don't figure out a more realistic and responsible financial plan to meet our roads' and bridges' needs.
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Use Caution: Rough Roads Ahead for New Hampshire
Informative Booklet
A Safer Road to Tomorrow coalition has released its new booklet entitled "Use Caution: Rough Roads Ahead for New Hampshire." The purpose of the booklet is to inform you about why many of New Hampshire's roads and bridges are at the end of their functional life span, and what must be done to restore them.
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TRIP Press Conference
Report Card on New Hampshire's Infrastructure
On March 28th The Road Information Program (TRIP) released a report on the condition of New Hampshire's roads and bridges. Councilor Ray Burton, Public Works Chairman Gene Chandler and NHDOT Commissioner Carol Murray spoke of the importance of maintaining New Hampshire's infrastructure. The report "highlights the benefits of an efficient, well-maintained and adequately funded transportation system," said Carol Murray. Click on the links below to view the full report and press release.
TRIP ReportTRIP Grading Scale
Press Release
ASCE Infrastructure Report 2006
Report Card on New Hampshire's Infrastructure
In January 2006, the New Hampshire Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) released a report on NH's Infrastructure. The report reviewed and evaluated the condition of many categories such as aviation, bridges, dams, drinking water, energy, hazardous waste, mass transit and rail, navigable waters, roads, schools, solid waste, and wastewater. The purposes of the report were to research and evaluate the state's infrastructure and ultimately educate the public for the need to invest in our infrastructure. ASCE is a professional organization that is comprised of over 137,000 civil engineers and is recognized as the lead organization for the stewardship of our nation's infrastructure.
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