ArDOT rep tells West Memphis MPO it needs $400 million

ArDOT rep tells West Memphis MPO it needs $400 million

Department looking for additional funds to support ongoing road improvement

projects

news@theeveningtimes.com

The Arkansas Department of Transportation wants more money.

That was the message conveyed by an ArDOT representative to the West Memphis Metropolitan Planning Organization earlier this month.

The department is looking for increased revenue levels and considering higher levels on existing taxes or constructing new income streams to improve and maintain highways in the state.

Emanuel Banks, said he was a basketball role-player for the Blue Devils back in the Michael Cage heyday, but played pitcher as Deputy Director and Chief Engineer for ArDOT at the MPO meeting. ArDOT is looking for an additional $400 million per year.

”I graduated in ‘82 from here, went to Fayetteville and have been a Highway Department engineer for 30 years,” said Banks. Banks organized his 50-minute presentation around the renewed ArDOT mission, pointed to department efficiency and improved highway ratings before exploring options with MPO commissioners to increase state funding for highways.

“This is a new era,” said Banks. “We had been the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department (AHTD) for over 40 years.

We also changed our mission. We pride ourselves on efficiency and safety.”

Banks demonstrated department efficiency with statistics showing ArDOT the third lowest in administrative costs per-mile compared to other state transportation departments.

ArDOT employs 300 fewer now than in the 1970s due to natural attrition and combining job responsibilities.

“What that means is, when we get money in, we primarily use it on the roads,” said Banks.

The Deputy Director said ArDOT was a promise keeper and pointed to projects across the state, especially in Crittenden County. “We have two things going on right now, the Interstate Rehabilitation Program, which you see going west on I-40 and Connection Arkansas Program with 50 projects at almost $1.3 billion,” said Banks. “The idea with CAP was to connect communities with four lane access to the Interstate. We have that going on Highway 64 out of Crawfordsville. State wide CAP expenditures is $1.9 million.”

Highway pavement preservation overlays were slated for the area as well according to Banks. Overlays cost $100,000 per lane mile and prevent expensive major overhauls.

“If we have to reconstruct a roadway its cost 1.5 million per lane mile,” said Banks. “We either do something for our existing roads now or it will cost more later as roads deteriorate.

Funds for overlays were tapped for future work near Hwy. 42 near Heafer, another project near Earle and Hwy. 70 (Broadway) in West Memphis.

Banks said highway funds were getting harder to come by. Staying efficient, keeping cost down only go so far when trying to keep promises to maintain and improve Arkansas Highways. Arkansas represents the 12 largest highway systems but ranks 42nd in highway revenue. Banks assessed the near future needs.

“Right now we get our revenue from the motor fuel tax; it has remained flat while general revenue is escalating,” said Banks.

“We share 40 percent with the city and the counties.

We get federal money; over 50 percent of our highway finds come from the federal government. We need another $400 million per year over the next ten years.” The legislative audit pinned the need at $500 million per year, but law makers have not embraced the need.

“A one penny increase in the motor fuel tax would generate $14 million in a year,” said Banks. “Increasing car registration fees by $10 would bring about $19 million. With a one percent general sales tax increase we could generate $344 million, but folks are not comfortable with that. We don’t get any new or used vehicle sales tax. When you look at roads user taxes there is a half a billion out there but 43 percent of it goes into the general fund.

Give us some of this. These are just topics of discussion you’ll hear through the 2019 legislative session.”

Meanwhile ArDOT is soliciting public opinion through an online pole by searching ahtd/citzens_survey or going through the ArDOT.gov site.

“The survey has been out a few months,” said Banks.

“Questions asked, ‘would you be willing to pay for something like a gas tax or sales tax and how can we bring in $400 million’. We have 1500 respondents so far and the majority say go with road user fees. First question we ask is point blank are satisfied with highways. I encourage you to take the survey because we haven’t heard from you all yet.”

By John Rech