By law, a regional transportation plan must be realistic about the resources required to implement the plan. CDTC takes this requirement very seriously. In the New Visions 2030 plan, CDTC and its members commit to the necessary rehabilitation of the entire transportation system, along with modest upgrades and improvements. Recent increases in the cost of materials coupled with the need to rebuild a nearly 50-year-old Interstate system have pushed the cost of the plan up 40% in the past six years – more than eating up funding increases provided in that period.
Even with these cost increases, the 2030 plan is fiscally balanced over time – but only if public funding increases regularly over the next 25 years as it has in the past. An essentially “flat” level of revenues would lead to serious, unacceptable declines in physical and service conditions and make even the most modest improvements difficult to accomplish.
Funding for major changes, such as new carpool, bus or tolled lanes, a greenway system, local arterials to accommodate development or significant transit expansion would require funding above and beyond the funding growth calculated to meet basic needs.
Extensive public discourse and hard work will be required to obtain the funding required for the plan or to seriously entertain new facilities or services.
