DES MOINES – Officials with the Iowa Department of Transportation said today that the continual maintenance of 110,000 miles of roads in the state is too expensive.
Iowa Department of Transportation Paul Trombino says Iowa’s transportation system is likely to shrink in the future, and the agency is looking to the future of how people travel along with how goods and materials are transported. These are a keys to re-designing Iowa’s roadways and how they inter-connect in a more efficient manner.
“With so many miles of road and bridges to maintain, repair or replace, the demand is much greater than the .10 per gallon (gas tax) increase can cover, the DOT said Monday. Gas tax dollars are used for upkeep and other new projects on Iowa’s roads.
Some counties in Iowa are already looking to let some less-traveled roads lapse into “B” grade roads, as a cost-cutting measure. The Interstate highway system has contributed to patterns of traffic that have discouraged the use of some roads over the years.
The state has a five-year transportation plan, which can be read here.
Yet another County Supervisor situation greatly ignored!!
But yet we but new vehicles to drive around in??
It sounds to me like the DOT is being very responsible with our tax dollars.
What would you know about taxes. Welfare baby’s do not pay taxes.
Im so freaken wealthy that I pay chump change in taxes compared to you old working class guys, so that’s not a problem for me. I inherited a bunch of bucks from my daddy and then struck it rich before the real estate market busted. I want your vote and I appreciate all the words of support you have posted here.
Oh yea forgot ! Is it correct to say the Iowa public servant fund (state workers retirement fund) is 5 BILLION DOLLARS in debt?
Thats the way government works – gas is cheap NOW so a tax hike is not too hurting – small business owners got a tax break from the state so the county crooks raised their tax rate 11%, Do not vote for these people again.
Take away the freebies to the railroads and airports and we would have a surplus – railroads are making money and if a city wants an airport let them and the federal government pay for it. Case solved .
Problem solved? Let the City and Feds pay for it? The City and Federal Government have no money until they take it from us. I don’t understand your point.
Just like government. We gave them 0.10 a gallon and now they want more. maybe we need to cut wage and benefit cost until we get cost in line.
I agree LVS, the 10 cent tax was sold to repair old roads and bridges that could collapse when our school children were crossing them on their school bus. BS, as soon as the tax was rammed down our throat, and passed only after removing people from the committee that were going to vote against it and replaced by people to move the bill out of committee that would vote for it. As soon as the bill was passed, the DOT announced all the money would be used for the Highway 20 extension. (So much for all those unsafe bridges that are going to kill our kids. )
And yet they keep building more. I smell another tax hike. Then another, and another, and another………………