Rethinking America's Highways: A 21st-Century Vision for Better Infrastructure

The way America provides its highways is overly politicized, leading to congestion and deterioration. Robert Poole argues for a new model that treats highways as public utilities, where people pay for how much they use and companies issue revenue bonds to invest in facilities people are willing to pay for.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 352 pages
Publication date: 01 January 2021
Publisher: The University of Chicago Press

Americans dedicate numerous hours to sitting in traffic, often on roads that are rough and potholed, with exits, tunnels, guardrails, and bridges in terrible disrepair. Transportation expert Robert Poole attributes this congestion and deterioration to the way America provides its highways. In his book, Rethinking Americas Highways, Poole explores the origins of the current state-owned highway model and argues that it fails to meet the needs of its customers. He proposes a new model that treats highways as public utilities, similar to electricity, telephones, and water supply. Under this model, people would pay for highways based on their usage, and companies would issue revenue bonds to invest in facilities that people were willing to pay for. Poole advocates for highway investments to be driven by economic considerations rather than political factors, making a well-reasoned and well-documented case for a new approach to highways that will have a significant impact on future decisions and policies related to U.S. infrastructure.

Weight: 552g
Dimension: 347 x 230 x 23 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780226759302