Texas DOT: Highways Don't Pay For Themselves

[AVERAGE JOE]

Interesting blog post on LA Streetsblog referencing a new report by the Texas Department of Transportation that finds highways are typically subsidized to great degree by general funds, stating that "that no road pays for itself in gas taxes and fees."

The conclusion offered by the blogger:

quote:Thanks to the Texas DOT, transit advocates have the perfect counter to any argument that transit is some sort of affront to the free market because of the subsidies it receives.

Thought that would make for an interesting discussion. Thoughts?

[rwarn17588]

Can't say that I'm surprised.

Roads have always been expensive, but the economic benefits that sprout around them are huge.

Sort of like education.

[Kenosha]

kind of makes the argument that mass transit doesn't pay for itself, and is therefore a bad investment, irrelevant, don't ya think?

Truth is that this admission is akin to big tobacco admitting smoking causes cancer.  

Duh.

[Red Arrow]

The fact that roads do not pay for themselves with gas tax etc should not be a big surprise. If they did, we would have fine roads and would not be looking for $2 Billion to fix the streets in Tulsa.

[MDepr2007]

all I know is , Texas sure is building alot of new highways.

[patric]

quote:Originally posted by Red Arrow

The fact that roads do not pay for themselves with gas tax etc should not be a big surprise.

They certainly dont pay for themselves when the tax money we approved for maintenance is being regularly siphoned off for special projects.

[TulsaSooner]

Can we lease them 244 so they can fix it, mow it and clean up the garbage?  That road is an embarrassment.  Maybe the Cherokee's could just adopt the whole dang thing.  

[Red Arrow]

quote:Originally posted by patric

quote:Originally posted by Red Arrow

The fact that roads do not pay for themselves with gas tax etc should not be a big surprise.

They certainly dont pay for themselves when the tax money we approved for maintenance is being regularly siphoned off for special projects.

And the "General Fund"

[PonderInc]

I wonder if anyone has been able to calculate the cost of roads and highways when you consider the price of building and maintaining them (fed, state and local), gas taxes, auto licenses, federal subsidies to auto companies, government subsidies to oil companies, cost of pre-emptive wars in the Middle East, etc?  The $$ comes from so many sources (different in each community) that its impossible to calculate.  Then you add in all the costs of buying/owning/maintaining/putting gas in a car/parking...and the cost to individual consumers skyrockets.

Rail sounds pretty darn affordable to me!