9/23/1999
Road Work Ahead: Introduction
Road Work Ahead: Is Construction Worth the Wait?
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Introduction
Every state is engaged in construction projects on their highways.
At least 1,500 projects are underway around the country, and motorists are experiencing
delays and detours at construction zones.1 Much of
that construction is repair work on roads and bridges. But in addition, the passage of a
new transportation bill, the Transportation Efficiency Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21),
has sent plenty of new federal money to the states, and many areas have begun building
booms that are supposed to ease our congestion woes by adding new capacity to existing
roads.
But ironically, the construction projects themselves can create
significant congestion and delay. The promise of a more free-flowing commute can take
years to fulfill, as many road construction projects proceed in stages that take years to
complete. Drivers are being asked to make a tradeoff: sitting through construction on the
promise that their commutes will improve later. STPP undertook the analysis presented in
this report to see if these delays are worth it in the long run for the people currently
using these roads.
STPP examined several road expansion projects currently under
construction to better understand how these projects affect current road users. The case
studies presented examine the relationship between construction projects and traffic flow
from the standpoint of individual motorists. The construction sites were chosen according
to the nature of the project, geographical distribution, and availability of data. Our
case studies indicate that motorists often pay a high price in time and taxes, and realize
only modest benefits in time savings.
| The analyses presented in this report
rely on predictions made about the future performance of particular stretches of highway.
By necessity, the accuracy of any predictions of this kind cannot be verified for many
years. Because we relied on projections provided by transportation agencies, our report is
only as accurate as these original predictions. |
Our goal in completing these case studies was not to make
definitive statements about the performance or benefits of specific projects, but to use
these cases to examine whether individual drivers who must wait through construction
projects ultimately benefit from these projects. The results we found are approximate and
simply point toward the need for further research and study. Indeed, our difficulty in
obtaining relevant information from official sources indicates that construction delay is
a neglected field of inquiry for transportation planners.
The Surface Transportation Policy Project is a nationwide network of more than 800
organizations, including planners, community development organizations, and advocacy groups,
devoted to improving the nation’s transportation system.
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STPP
