CHARLESTON – While Roads to Prosperity bond projects continue to move forward, legislators have conveyed to the Division of Highways that their constituents aren’t impressed because they’re still slamming through potholes.
So Department of Transportation Secretary Tom Smith accepted the invitation to appear before the Senate Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Tuesday morning to talk about the $4.5 billon deferred maintenance backlog.
That number, he said, comes from the Blue Ribbon Commission on Highways that began its work in 2012 and submitted its findings in 2015. The commission concluded that road system preservation requires an additional annual $750 million and expansion another $380 million on top of the DOH’s approximate $1.1 billion budget.
From 2013, looking just at preservation money, the total backlog is $4.5 billion, he said. Preservation includes core maintenance – ditching, mowing, potholes – plus such things as rehabilitating bridges, fixing slides and replacing signals.
Smith paused to praise the DOH workers, observing he’s been on the job two years. “Every year that I’ve served, I’m more proud to be a part of this organization.” They do the best they can with what they’ve got.
The Roads to Prosperity program, Smith said, is providing about $2.8 billon, including $200 million in “pay as you go” money from DMV fee hikes and gas tax hikes that can be used for maintenance until it’s needed for bond debt service. Keeping with the prescribed formula of 70 percent for preservation and 30 percent for expansion, they’re trying to use road bond money in that manner.
DOH has already put $1 billion of the $2.8 billion on the street, he said and another $1 billion will go toward preservation projects. But looking at the total $4.5 billion unfunded backlog, that still leaves them $2.5 billion behind.
“The governor’s program really allows us to attack that backlog but it doesn’t resolve all the issues. That backlog is bigger than what the program is,” he said.
Committee chair Charles Clements, R-Wetzel, asked Smith about the governor’s statement, made during the State of the State Address, that some road bond money will be diverted to secondary road routine maintenance.
That announcement caused some to cheer and some to worry that it might be a misuse of bond funds.
Smith said the governor has pressed them to do more for secondary roads. “We are working on options with his office and have not yet come to conclusions on that. … It’s premature for me to say that would be the direction we’re going.”
Clements and Sen. Robert Plymale, D-Wayne, both said that the road bond project list is what they used to sell the bond to their constituents. Plymale worried that projects in his district could be on the chopping block if the governor’s idea moves forward.
“I’m really concerned with that, because then what I’ve done is a disservice to my constituents.”
Clements asked where the money is coming from for the 5 percent raises passed last year and for the raises planned for this year. Smith agreed that the money comes from the Road Fund, so while it’s important for the underpaid workers, it takes money from other uses.
Clements agreed the raises are needed, but observed, “We’re handing you an unfunded mandate.” Smith acknowledged that in a roundabout way: “Those are your words, sir.”
State Highway Engineer Aaron Gillespie wrapped up the meeting by looking at where some of the preservation money has been spent. He reminded the members that 22,000 miles of the state’s of 36,000 road miles are not eligible for federal funds.
Historically, he said, the DOH spends $160 million per year on repaving: $100 million federal money, $60m state. And only $40 million per year of the state money is for the 22,000 miles.
Starting in July 2017, he said, DOH began using the pay as you go money for secondary road work. During the first 10 months they put $100 million to work and another $85 million during the next 12 months ($15 million has to go to debt service). Of that $85 million, $55 million is for bridges, $30 million for slide repairs.
Each county generally receives $1.5 million for slides, he said. The extra $30 million will up each county’s slide money to $4.5 million.
And DOH plans to use another $15 million of the pay as you go money this spring for more secondary road paving. All told, he said, DOH has put an additional $215 million toward secondary road paving.
Comparing all that spending to the commission’s $750 million annual figure, he observed, “We do realize that’s still not enough to take care of our needs.”
TWITTER @dbeardtdp Email David Beard at dbeard@dominionpost.com
