Does the Federal Government Spend too Much for Highways, or too Little?
Winston Harrington Certainly, there is ample justification for some federal funding of highways. There is plenty of intercity and interstate travel, both commercial and personal, which means that the benefits of a well-integrated road network are not just local. Just note the number of out-of-state plates you see on interstates and other major thoroughfares. But what’s the right amount? Those who say “too much” note that the Federal-Aid Highway Program makes grants to the states that cover 80 to 90 percent of the costs of qualifying highway projects. Can anyone claim with a straight face that out-of-staters enjoy 80-90 percent of the benefits of the average highway? To this group, which includes a lot of regional planners and anti-sprawl advocates, this is a major subsidy to build roads. With the federal government paying such a large cost share, the argument goes, local and state governments don’t have to make the hard choices between whether the project is really justified. Others sa
