Infra Insight Blog

AASHTO, through its Center for Excellence in Project Finance, has released its final report on strategies for funding and financing surface transportation for the next decade. The report, Funding and Financing Solutions for Surface Transportation in the Coming Decade,  is available for download via AASHTO’s website at the following address:

http://www.transportation-finance.org/pdf/featured_documents/sep_30_report_final_2011_02_02.pdf

In September 2010, AASHTO convened a forum of members of Congress, representatives of state and local governments, and professionals from educational and private sector transportation-focused organizations and businesses. The forum was organized to address:

• Near- and medium-term funding options for the Federal surface transportation programs

• Current and potential future applications of Federal financing tools

• Funding and financing initiatives that are meeting with success at state and local levels of government and whose use could be expanded

The report highlights the findings of the Congressionally mandated National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission (Policy Commission), the National Surface Transportation Infrastructure Financing Commission (Finance Commission), and USDOT’s most recent Conditions and Performance Report.

These groups found that revenues generated under current policies (e.g. fuel taxes) provide enough resources to meet only 44 percent of the requirements to maintain the current system, and will continue to lose power in the future. A broad array of existing and potential funding and financing sources were discussed in the report, which includes speaker white papers detailing the creative approaches advocated at the meeting.