MONTGOMERY -- If you're driving in Alabama today and you think the roads and traffic are bad, it's not your imagination.
A new study ranked Alabama's roads 43rd best in the nation in 2005, down from 11th place five years earlier.
It's quite a drop, according to the Reason Foundation, which recently released its 16th annual survey.
"The state's system is deteriorating,'' the Reason Foundation report states.
It could get worse by 2030. By that time, the state will have needed nearly 1,000 miles of new roads just to keep up with the traffic. The report said Alabamians can expect an increase in fatalities because of poor roads and will also see an increase in crowded traffic conditions.
Alabama Department of Transportation spokesman Tony Harris said officials are surprised at the survey's findings.
"I believe we are managing the department and better managing the money than ever before for construction and maintenance,'' he said.
The foundation analyzed state and federal spending and other records to summarize Alabama's road conditions. The state roads had an overall cost effectiveness rating of 10th best in 1998, but 42nd best in 2004.
The survey is meant to be a road map for politicians and decision makers and a tool the public can use to determine how well their highway spending compares to other states.
"There are some things in there that could be construed critical or condemning for Alabama, but for the most part they're pointing out the realization we find ourselves living with in this state,'' Harris said.
North Dakota's highways ranked first in the survey, with New Jersey ranking last.
Among Southeastern states, Georgia was sixth, Tennessee 20th, Mississippi 25th and Florida 41st.
Harris said the Gov. Riley administration has had to play catch-up from the previous administrations. He said highway funds were legally diverted for two years to road projects based on political, rather than actual, needs.
"We're spending record amounts on maintenance, but we're not making much progress," Harris said. "We're just holding our own, but we're addressing that. This year we more than doubled our resurfacing budget to more than $230 million.''
The study ranks spending per state road mile, with Alabama slightly over the average at $111,286 per state road mile. South Carolina's topped the list at $31,262 per state road mile.
Spending heavily influenced the study. South Carolina was ranked second last year.
No one could immediately explain why South Carolina, a state not much different than Alabama, spent less per road mile. One theory was that South Carolina doesn't allow change orders after contracts are awarded, but compensates in other ways.
Alabama's road situation might get worse, partly because Alabama is losing $82 million in future federal highway funds because of the Iraq war. Other issues affecting that loss are veterans' health care and Katrina hurricane recovery, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.
In two notices, Washington announced it is rescinding $4.3 billion in unobligated federal funding from the current transportation bill. That's money Alabama will need if it wants to move out of 43rd place.
"When Congress passes the appropriation bill, it maps out the money we can expect over the life of the bill,'' Harris said. "Rescission reduces the amounts we receive in that six-year bill.''
The result is Alabama is rearranging programs on the drawing board. Two projects in the Shoals -- four-laning of U.S. 43 from Killen to the Alabama-Tennessee state line and the third phase of the Patton Island bridge corridor in Colbert County -- are among the victims.
"It's a constant situation for us setting priorities based on available funds,'' Harris said.
Robert Poole, director of transportation at the Reason Foundation, said the report is based on data each state sends to the U.S. Department of Transportation.
"What is useful for the taxpaying voter is they'll have some idea how their state stacks up against others,'' he said. "It raises issues like are legislators asleep at the switch?''
State Rep. Mac Gipson, R-Prattville, wondered whether the Legislature was dozing when his bill came up to create a new state motor fuel tax. The tax would be equivalent of about 1 cent a year for five years, with the money being used to support road projects.
Gipson said the state's 1992 nickel gasoline tax has lost much of its purchasing power. Combined with increased costs for road building material and wages, each penny isn't what it used to be.
Gipson said Tuesday that with gasoline prices fluctuating so wildly, the legislative session would have been the perfect time to index gasoline taxes to inflation or some other benchmark.
"A penny, with as much fluctuation as we have in gasoline in a week now, I dare say it would not be felt,'' he said. "Let's face it, this is a fee for a service because who should pay for improvement of roads but the people who use them?"
Not having the backing of Riley presented Gipson with another hurdle.
Gipson said Alabama's industrial success is another factor in falling road building and repairing.
"We're already feeling the impact of industrial growth in the fact that it takes money away from the road program to do industry,'' he said.
Harris said federal funding proration isn't the only issue when it comes to state road projects, but "it's more of an overall funding issue than rescissions specifically.''
In case you thought it was your imagination again, it isn't. Alabama does have nearly the worst urban interstate system in the United States, 49th to be exact.
It's primarily because of the poor condition of Montgomery's portion of Interstate 65, conditions that are being addressed by the DOT this year.
Alabama's rural interstate was only marginally better at 48th.
Perhaps the most important point in the Reason study was Alabama's worse than average fatality rate of 1.9 per 100 million vehicle miles, the common measuring stick.
Alabama ranked 40th in the category. Massachusetts was first with only .8 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles. Montana was last with 2.256 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles.
Department of Public Safety officials report Alabama had 1,208 vehicle deaths last year. The total included all known vehicle deaths on state, city, county and federal highways.
David Brown is director of development for the CARE Research and Development Laboratory at the University of Alabama, which is a traffic and planning think tank. He said traffic fatalities are all about drinking, speed, seat restraints, and youth.
Alcohol accounts for about 40 percent of all fatalities in the state.
Dana Beyerle can be reached at (334) 264-6605 or dtb12345@aol.com.
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