Keep WV Moving -

West Virginia’s transportation system is facing a crisis. A recent report indicates the state will experience a transportation funding shortfall of $5 billion over the next 10 years. Unless West Virginia addresses this funding gap soon, many sorely needed transportation projects will remain unfunded.

Worse still, the state’s funding shortcomings will cause existing problems to worsen — more than one-third of West Virginia’s roads are in poor or mediocre condition, and 37 percent of the state’s bridges are deficient.

Here are some other reasons why all West Virginians should care:

- Driving on roads in need of repair costs each West Virginia motorist an average of $280 annually — $371 million statewide — in the form of accelerated vehicle depreciation, additional repair costs, and increased fuel consumption and tire wear.

- West Virginia’s traffic fatality rate of 2.10 fatalities per 100 million miles of travel is the third highest in the U.S., and 54 percent higher than the national average. Of the state’s bridges that are 20 feet or longer, 15 percent are structurally deficient and another 22 percent are functionally obsolete. Many of these bridges have weight limits, which can force trucks, school buses and emergency vehicles to take alternate routes, which are time-consuming and gas-wasting.

With a projected multi-billion dollar deficit of $5 billion, our coalition believes it is critically important for the Governor, the Legislature and the Department of Transportation to come together and develop a long-term funding solution for our roads, bridges and highways.

Joe Deneault
West Virginians for Better Transportation
Charleston