What Can Fund Transportation? We’re Glad You Asked

One of the questions that routinely comes up when discussing infrastructure—particularly transportation infrastructure—is how to fund it. While I don’t have all of the answers, members of the Infrastructure Council with lots of support from organizations across the U.S. were kind enough to share their thoughts on a variety of funding mechanisms with me. The result is an informative (though simple) document that you access at the bottom of this post.

People who live and breathe transportation funding will immediately recognize that there are several things missing from this document. For starters it only focuses on surface transportation in Illinois, so waterways and several federal possibilities are absent. Some rail programs are included as well as several federal programs but by and large the document does the pros/cons of things that fund and finance roads and transit.

At the request of several members of the Infrastructure Council, several similar documents will be compiled over the remainder of the year that focus on federal surface transportation, waterways, railroads, aviation, and other infrastructure (clean/sewage water, telecommunications etc). If you have things that should be included in those documents or in this document please let me know and I will be sure to add them. While I compiled this document, it’s a resource for anyone who wants to get a general understanding of how to fund infrastructure.