Focus shifts to road repairs
By Mike Leidemann
Advertiser Transportation Writer
The state plans to increase its spending on highway maintenance by more than 40 percent in the next two years to fight potholes and other nagging problems.
"Our emphasis won't be so much on building new highways, but improving the ones we have," state Transportation Director Rod Haraga said.
The department will boost its highway maintenance funding to more than $72 million in the next fiscal year, up from about $50 million in recent years, Haraga said. In fiscal 2007, the maintenance budget will be $68 million.
"Potholes, repaving, landscaping, guardrails — these are all things we need to work on," Haraga told lawmakers last week in an informational hearing on the department's budget.
The new emphasis on maintenance represents a significant change for the department, which in the 1990s largely focused on creating new capital improvement projects but let regular repaving of busy highways lag from the recommended 10 years to a 13-year interval.
The emphasis on maintenance is part of a nationwide movement. Many states have shifted their budget priorities to increase repairs at a time when a new highways authorization bill, which will determine the amount of federal money available for new projects, has been stalled in Congress for more than a year.
"Texas is putting $4.1 billion toward maintenance this year," Haraga said. "Obviously, we don't have that kind of money, but it shows you something."
Highway maintenance problems have topped a list of residents' complaints, especially in the past few years when heavy rains have created deep potholes in areas that haven't been repaved in years.
"The roads have been bad for years and they keep getting worse," said Kailua resident Brian Barbata. "It's a good sign that they are going to spend more, but the proof will be in the pudding. They've been borrowing money from the highway fund for a long time, and they've got a long way to go to dig themselves out of the hole they're in."
Money for airports
Highways aren't the only places that will see increased maintenance. The state's airports also are targeted, Haraga said.
Most of the department's top airport priorities involve maintenance and repairs. In Honolulu, that includes more than $50 million for the airport's air-conditioning and public-information systems as well as replacing leaking ceilings in the 'ewa and diamondhead concourses and the international arrivals area.
"We've got a tremendous amount of leaks and some asbestos exposure at the airport. The repairs are sorely needed," Haraga said.
The Federal Highway Administration has been urging states to spend more money on pavement preservation programs, saying that every dollar spent on maintenance now saves four or five dollars a few years down the road, improves highway safety and reduces complaints from motorists.
The department is also shifting priorities to pay for more programs with cash rather than borrowed money, Haraga said.
That will include paying more than $35 million in outstanding debts for the airport and shifting hundreds of jobs to new budgeting categories that don't rely on borrowed money.
"We've got the cash, so why not pay off what we owe?" Haraga said.
Borrow or pay cash?
Some state lawmakers, however, questioned the wisdom of paying cash at a time when lending rates are at a historic low.
"Wouldn't it be better to refinance the old debts at the lower rate (rather) than simply paying them off?" asked Sen. Brian Taniguchi, head of the Senate Ways and Means Committee.
Most of the local share of money for DOT projects comes from dedicated funds paid by highway and airport users. In the case of the highways, the money is largely generated by an 18.5-cent state tax paid by motorists on every gallon of gas they buy.
Haraga admitted that part of the initiative for the pay-as-you-go philosophy came after the state Legislature last year authorized "raiding" the cash-rich highways fund for up to $10 million for other purposes.
"So you have access to that money and would rather spend it than have it raided again by the Legislature?" asked Taniguchi.
"It's an option," Haraga said.
"You mean it's something you've thought about," Taniguchi said.
"Yes," Haraga answered.
Reach Mike Leidemann at 525-5460 or mleidemann@honoluluadvertiser.com.
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