NEW YORK CITY – While debate over the adoption of a major infrastructure-funding plan drags on in Congress, Americans are making it clear they want to see some action on fixing the nation’s highways and bridges.
According to a recent survey by infrastructure firm HNTB Corp., most Americans have safety concerns when driving on their local roads and bridges.
The survey, “Roadway Safety and Congestion – 2017,” found that while 92 percent of Americans believe it is extremely or very important to maintain existing highway and bridge infrastructure to improve safety and reduce congestion, just 35 percent said they consider their local highways and bridges to be extremely or very safe.
Fifty-one percent said their roads and bridges are only somewhat safe.
A large majority (85 percent) of the survey respondents agreed that increased traffic congestion directly contributes to highway fatalities, and six in 10 said decreasing traffic injuries and fatalities and traffic congestion should be the nation’s most important surface transportation priorities.
For slightly more than half of Americans (52 percent), the best way to address highway safety is through enforcement of traffic laws, such as those for speeding and drunk driving.
Other approaches include encouraging automobile manufacturers to make new safety technologies standard equipment, using higher safety standards when building or improving roads, and making low-cost improvements such as signage, enhanced pavement markings and guardrails where traffic accidents are prevalent.
“Americans expect and want a surface transportation network that delivers safe and reliable travel,” said Ananth Prasad, transportation practice leader and senior vice president at HNTB. “It is imperative that we invest needed resources into our entire surface transportation network of highways, bridges and rail systems.
“But we must do more than just repair our existing infrastructure required for today,” Prasad said. “Policymakers should establish clear priorities and make smart investments to create transportation systems capable of meeting future demands and growing our economic strength.”
Almost half (48 percent) of the survey’s respondents said providing more public transportation is the best way to reduce congestion. Adding capacity to critical corridors was supported by 40 percent; providing timely information about traffic conditions, alternate modes of travel and alternate routes was favored by 36 percent; and 30 percent supported providing technology, vehicles and roadways that improve traffic flow.
“State departments of transportation are working hard to find and implement solutions that can help decrease congestion, but are hampered by needs outpacing budgets,” Prasad said. “Federal funding identified by the current administration is needed now.”
The HNTB survey also found that for 62 percent of Americans, the priority for new transportation technologies should be to reduce accidents and increase safety. Almost half of the respondents said the use of connected vehicle technologies would increase highway safety and reduce traffic accidents.
The HNTB survey also asked about the technologies drivers want in their personal vehicles. The top responses included blind spot notification (63 percent), more information on road conditions (57 percent), the ability to know when vehicles are too close or approaching quickly (55 percent), autonomous automatic emergency braking (45 percent), and warning that vehicle speed is dangerous for the driving conditions (39 percent).
Prasad said the need for more infrastructure improvements resulted in the nation receiving a D+ grade by the American Society of Civil Engineers’ 2017 Infrastructure Report Card. And, last year, voters in 34 states agreed to fund local transportation projects.
“States are stepping up to the plate and doing their part,” she said. “We need the federal government to do the same.”
