Page:Needs of the Highway Systems, 1955–84.pdf/25

Rh needs should be divided between the Federal Government and the State and local governments in the ratio of 30 percent Federal and 70 percent State and local.

State and local governments have responsibility for the entire cost of constructing those road systems for which Federal aid is not available and for matching in statutory ratio the Federal funds provided for participation in the cost of construction on the Federal-aid systems. Of approximately 3,400,000 miles of roads and streets about 230,000 miles are included in the Federal-aid primary system and 460,000 in the Federal-aid secondary system. It is in the improvement of these systems, totaling about 700,000 miles, that the States and local agencies participate with the Federal Government in varying degree. Thus nearly 2,700,000 miles are the sole responsibility of the State and local jurisdictions.

Provision of funds required by State and local agencies to meet their historic responsibilities for highways presents serious problems that have been met in various ways. Many State and local governments are actively working to provide increased funds for highway purposes. The means proposed to supply the added funds vary widely with local conditions and the policies of the various jurisdictions.

The problem of financing the Federal share of meeting the total highway needs was considered by the President's Advisory Committee on a national a, program. In its report of January 1955, the Committee sets forth its conclusions and recommendations covering Federal participation in financing needed improvements on the interstate and other Federal-aid systems.

The plan of the President’s Advisory Committee is in accord with the principles expressed in the report by the executive committee of the Governors’ Conference. The plan was transmitted by the President to the Congress for use in its deliberations on the highway program. It contains detailed recommendations for financing the portion of the total highway needs recognized by the Advisory Committee and also by representatives of the governors as the responsibility of the Federal Government.

In developing its financing plan the Advisory Committee had the benefit of information on the extent and cost of improvements required on the various highway systems, supplied to the Bureau of Public Roads by the State highway departments to enable the Secretary of Commerce to respond to the provisions of section 13 of the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1954. The Advisory Committee’s recommendations, therefore, are regarded as meeting the provisions of that section of the act with respect to a study of highway financing, since they cover the Federal responsibilities insofar as the Committee believed they can be foreseen at this time.

In essence, the President’s Advisory Committee recommends a total construction expenditure by the Federal Government of $31.225 billion over the next 10 years. Of this total, $25.00 billion is for the interstate system including essential urban arterial connections, $3.15 billion for the remainder of the Federal-aid primary system, $2.10 billion for the Federal-aid secondary system, $0.75 billion for the Federal-aid urban system, and $0.225 billion for forest highways. Financial participation by State and local governments would amount to $2.00 billion on the interstate system including essential urban