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Pages 199-210

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From page 199...
... 7 A Blueprint for Action In its call for the study reported herein, Congress specified outputs that could be used to inform its pending and future investment decisions and other policy choices concerning the future of the Interstate Highway System. Specifically, Congress asked for information regarding actions that will be needed to upgrade and restore the system to meet the growing and shifting demands of the 21st century.
From page 200...
... 200 NATIONAL COMMITMENT TO THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY SYSTEM vehicle technologies, as well as its fundamental resilience in the face of climate change, and the time available to prepare the system to meet the latter challenges is dwindling. Many segments of the Interstate Highway System are more than 50 years old, subject to much heavier traffic volumes and loadings than anticipated, and operating well beyond their design lives without having undergone major upgrades or reconstruction.
From page 201...
... A BLUEPRINT FOR ACTION 201 nation's changing demographic, economic, climate, and technological landscape. Unless a commitment is made to remedying the deficiencies and preparing for the challenges detailed in this report, there is a very real risk that the system will become increasingly congested; far more costly to operate, maintain, and repair; less safe; incompatible with evolving technology; and vulnerable to the effects of a changing climate and extreme weather.
From page 202...
... 202 NATIONAL COMMITMENT TO THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY SYSTEM • Ensuring that the system remains responsive to, and aligned with, continued changes in the geography and composition of the country's population and economy, and that its connections with the other modes of local, interregional, and long-distance passenger and freight transportation are maintained and strengthened. Although thousands of miles of high-quality highways other than Interstates connect many of the country's population centers, lack of access to the Interstate System may be viewed by some smaller communities and emerging cities as detrimental to their growth and development, particularly given that the Interstate System includes the country's main trucking corridors and connects to many of the country's largest ports and rail hubs.
From page 203...
... A BLUEPRINT FOR ACTION 203 divert resources from other highways and modes of passenger and freight transportation. The Interstate highway program has long been funded by user fees that have both efficiency and equity merits.
From page 204...
... 204 NATIONAL COMMITMENT TO THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY SYSTEM incurred and to prevent the physical and operational deficiencies that will ensue. Recent combined state and federal capital spending on the Interstates has been on the order of $20–$25 billion annually (see Table 7-1)
From page 205...
... A BLUEPRINT FOR ACTION 205 and other physical additions to Interstate highways. Although connected and automated vehicles are likely to have limited effects on travel demand in the nearer term, expectations about their longer-term impact may influence transportation agency decisions about whether and where to invest in Interstate capacity, especially in 10 to 15 years.
From page 206...
... 206 NATIONAL COMMITMENT TO THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY SYSTEM and managed lanes, many urban Interstate segments will require the use of a wider array of technological, operational, and other demand-management approaches -- such as intermodal connectivity strategies, area-wide congestion pricing, and the building of new transportation facilities -- to accommodate future growth in travel demand. The investment required to pursue all of these congestionmanagement approaches could not be estimated.
From page 207...
... A BLUEPRINT FOR ACTION 207 traditional responsibilities in the allocation of resources for Interstate highway construction, operations, and maintenance. RECOMMENDATIONS Because the renewal and modernization of the Interstate Highway System will require large and sustained investment, federal leadership will be essential, along with funding that is both sufficient and reliable.
From page 208...
... 208 NATIONAL COMMITMENT TO THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY SYSTEM system rightsizing using a consultative process that involves states, local jurisdictions, highway users, and the general public. The criteria and their development should take into account the interest in ensuring • Adequate system connectivity and significant network flows of Interstate travel and commerce, including traffic from other important passenger and freight transportation modes; • System access to growing centers of population and economic activity; • System resilience through redundancy or other means as appropriate; and • Responsiveness to national defense needs.
From page 209...
... A BLUEPRINT FOR ACTION 209 • Track the full condition of Interstate assets, including interchanges, and their reconstruction history; • Can be used to assess transportation options that can supplement or substitute for additions to Interstate highway capacity; • Allow for the monitoring and modeling of network-level traffic flows on the Interstate Highway System; and • Further federal and state understanding of the demand for longdistance and interregional passenger and freight travel by highway and other modes. Because these recommended activities are important for guiding reinvestment in the Interstate System, careful consideration should be given to carrying them out in an effective and efficient manner.
From page 210...
... 210 NATIONAL COMMITMENT TO THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY SYSTEM • Develop and maintain a database of cost-effective practices and resilience strategies employed by state highway and other transportation agencies, including any funding mechanisms dedicated to support resilience planning and implementation. Recommendation 10.

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