How Will the U.S. Finance Its Pressing Transportation Needs

The U.S. public is yet unaware that the country is on the verge of a full-scale transportation crisis. The basic problem: funding requirements for each of the transportation modes are soaring while current funding sources are failing to keep pace. Some feel the Highway Trust Fund should be tapped to meet all the country's transportation needs. But there simply isn't enough money in that fund to do that. How to finance future transportation needs? To the extent feasible, all government transportation should be financed by user charges. An exception could be made where public interest justifies a subsidy — e.g., public transit. Public transit is a social responsibility and should be considered in the same way as public health, public education, public welfare, public police, and public fire protection.