Improving Rural Infrastructure

Improving Rural Infrastructure

Improving Rural Infrastructure. I'm Greg Martin with today's Line On Agriculture.

I grew up in rural America and know the trouble of traveling over dirt roads. Dust, mud and poor drainage are a few problems. While the President on Tuesday chastised Congress for lack of action on our aging highways rural America is an altogether different issue. With nearly 50-million people living in rural areas, a new report shows the U.S. rural transportation system has significant deficiencies and fatality rates. Rocky Moretti Director of Policy and Research for TRIP says the federal government is a critical source of rural transportation funding.

MORETTI: The Highway Trust Fund is essentially so low on cash that by August 1st, states are going to start to see some of that money cut back. So, it's absolutely critical that Congress put in place a long-term program that continues the important role that the federal government plays in providing funding for rural transportation.

Increases in agriculture and energy extraction are putting more demands on rural roads.

MORETTI: Twelve percent of them have structurally deficient bridges, and 15 percent of the major rural roads have pavements in poor conditions. This is the highest rate of deterioration, and it's consistent with the increasing travel and use of rural roads, and these are absolutely vital to the economy of rural America.

State and local transportation agencies understand what types of repairs are needed to prepare rural roads for increased travel, but Moretti says cost-effective safety measures must be put in place, too.

That's today's Line On Agriculture. I'm Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.

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