- Texas Announces $138 Billion 10-Year Transportation Plan
- Even With Toll Income, Tennessee Will Face Transportation Funding Shortfall
- Safety Drives The Vision For IBTTA’s New CEO
- As Highway Demand Rises in India, Highway Building Has Slowed
- Subscription Information
This is a Subscribers-Only area. If you are a subscriber, please login. If not...
Become a Subscriber Today »
Texas Announces $138 Billion 10-Year Transportation Plan
Texas Governor Greg Abbott announces, “The Texas Transportation Commission approved the 2027 Unified Transportation Program (UTP) in August, which includes $95 billion in projected funding from existing state and federal revenue sources for projects across the state over the next 10 years. The investment is supported by an additional $43 billion in development and routine maintenance.” (TRN inserted a link in quoted text.)
In addition to improved safety, congestion relief and enhanced connectivity on Texas roadways, the UTP addresses public transportation, maritime activities, aviation, rail, freight, international trade, and bicycle and pedestrian connectivity.
TxDOT executive director Marc Williams said, “‘With continued attention to project delivery, stewardship and long-term performance, these investments help position TxDOT to meet today’s demands while planning responsibly for the future.’”
The 10-year plan is updated annually, according to KXAN. Texas also plans transportation initiatives through the four-year Statewide Transportation Improvement Program, 20-year Metropolitan Transportation plans, and a 24-year Statewide Long-Range Transportation Plan.
Even With Toll Income, Tennessee Will Face Transportation Funding Shortfall
“Officials with the Tennessee Department of Transportation warned again that the state’s transportation infrastructure needs continue to outpace revenues, even as a toll lane project takes shape,” Tennessee Lookout reports.
At the August meeting of the state’s Transportation Modernization Board, TDOT’s major projects bureau chief, Bryan Ledford, said tolling would be helpful for addressing urban congestion, but choice lanes “‘are not a replacement for sustainable transportation funding.’”
The article highlights some findings in a draft report from the Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations (TACIR). The state will need between $58 billion and $87 billion for transportation infrastructure over the next three decades, and it will need to generate $3.6 billion annually just to maintain and improve the current infrastructure.
Already, TDOT is facing down a $400 million funding shortfall for the 2027-28 fiscal year. That could grow to $4.5 billion per year, in part due to static or dwindling gas taxes that aren’t keeping pace with inflation.
“Tennessee is also one of only a handful of states that doesn’t borrow money to pay for roads, leaving it with few options to raise the money needed for new road and bridge projects.”
Safety Drives The Vision For IBTTA’s New CEO
Traffic Technology Today features an interview with Mark Chung, who is eight months into his role as CEO of the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA) after leading road safety initiatives at the National Safety Council. “Chung’s brief is wide, but its centre of gravity is unmistakable – delivering safer roads.”
In an interview, Chung noted his pleasant surprise of learning how collaborative the tolling industry can be, particularly when it comes to safety.
“‘As operators of transportation infrastructure, we have a unique responsibility to ensure road users are able to travel safely on our roads,’ he says. ‘We have many levers, messaging signs, connected infrastructure, smarter work zones, more innovative ways to respond to incidents. Millions of drivers travel through our infrastructure on a daily basis, and we need to make sure they can do that safely.’”
But his vision extends far beyond protecting drivers and passengers. Chung said he joined IBTTA for the chance to influence an industry at an inflection point with rising needs, funding strains and evolving technology.
He believes vehicles in the future will host fully integrated payment systems, essentially making them “‘like a giant credit card,’” he described.
“‘When that happens, the acceptance of tolling and road user charging is going to be greater, and more easily implementable from a legislative perspective. This is all moving in the right direction, and it’s really, really exciting,’ he says.”
IBTTA just closed its third annual Global Road Safety Week, for which it published six case studies of specific ways toll operators are improving safety. They feature Transurban twice, as well as TEXPRESS, Lindsay, the Pennsylvania Turnpike and Elizabeth River Crossings.
The organization is now gearing up for September’s Global Tolling Summit in Quebec. The event will be held in Bangkok in 2027. The organization’s Annual Meeting and Exhibition is scheduled in Arlington, Texas, in November.
As Highway Demand Rises in India, Highway Building Has Slowed
“Indians have been buying more vehicles than they did a year ago. Toll collections are also rising. But one part of the country’s road economy is moving in the opposite direction: new highway projects are being awarded at a slower pace,” The Core reports.
“Industry executives and analysts believe that the weakness is temporary, though there is a disagreement over its cause. Some see it as a structural trend as government agencies wait to resolve land acquisition and environmental clearance issues before putting projects out to tender.”
The in-depth article compares National Highways Authority of India’s (NHAI’s) stated goals for highway building stated against the extent of actual awards it’s issued in recent years, and notes that some road developers are relying more on state projects to carry them through the leanness.
Separately, Construction World reports, issues related to land, workforce and regulatory approvals are delaying many projects by a year or more. However, India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra) expects the tolling industry to sustain its strong revenue growth. The agency “has projected a neutral outlook for the country’s transport infrastructure sector in FY27, citing a stable profile of operational assets and satisfactory growth in highway toll revenue.”
Subscription Information
If you’re not already a Daily News Briefs subscriber and you want a complete picture of today’s news, click here or call 717-991-2823 for information. If you’re a newcomer to TollRoadsNews.com, try a free trial.