HighwayEngineer wrote:
As a highway engineer, who works for a state Department of Transportation, I listen to this kind of garbage at nearly every public meeting I attend. Let's look at some numbers-
The highway department for which I work has a budget of about 800 million dollars a year. About 400 million of that goes for maintenance-snowplowing (mountainous western state with areas that get 300 inches of snow per year), guardrail repair, pothole repair, rockfall mitigation, removal of hazardous trash on the roads (blown out tire remnants, bumpers, misc. crap on the roads). Every inch of our highways has maintenance crews that pass through 3 times a day, minimum. A network of 10,000 miles of roadways takes a lot of people and equipment to keep clear. Most of these maintenance guys make 15 or 20 dollars an hour-and during winter, often work 80 or 90 hours a week. Of the 2400 maintenance workers in my state, 5 have been killed in the last 4 years. Were these guys thieves? Every penny of the 400 million dollars comes from State gas tax of 18 cents per gallon. For a car that gets 20 miles per gallon, that's about a penny a mile.
About 400 million a year goes for capitol construction and repaving projects. A highway with low traffic generally needs repaving every 20 years or so. One with heavy traffic, in a harsh climate, can need repaving every 4 or 5 years. A lane mile costs somewhere between $300,000 and $500,000 to pave. This is not generally done by "government workers" but by contractors who must competitively bid. Government workers are in place to prepare plans for the work, insure the bid is fair and equitable, and ensure the work is performed in accordance with the project specifications. We also construct and replace bridges. The smallest, most inconsequential 2 lane bridge you can imagine, crossing a small brook or stream generally costs at LEAST a million bucks-again competitively bid. My state replaces around 50 such bridges a year-as well as 10 or 15 much more major structures-costing anywhere from 10 to 50 million each. This capitol construction is funded 80% by the federal gas tax (23 cents per gallon) and 20% by the aforementioned state gas tax. So, for the 41 cents per gallon tax, -or 2 cents per mile- the citizens of my state, and tourists from the rest of the country, get to drive on 10,000 miles of road. Let's say you drive 20,000 miles per year, at 20 miles per gallon-it costs you about 400 bucks to pay for the roads.
If you don't think 400 dollars a year is worth it to have a viable transportation system, you are a fool. If you view me as a thief, rather than a licensed engineer who makes decisions every day upon which your LIFE hinges-you are a fool to drive on the roads I help to provide for you. Perhaps instead of using your energy trolling on message boards, I would prefer you said thank you, and went on your way.
Well said. Well done.
Just one of the many millions of folks making an honest living providing for the common good and (probably) tired of getting verbally attacked for his contribution.
Cheers.