Provide Guaranteed, Direct Federal Funding for County Owned Roads and Bridges

Action Needed

Urge your Members of Congress to develop a bipartisan solution that guarantees direct and consistent funding for locally owned roads and bridges without the necessity for counties to compete amongst ourselves and with our city and state partners when the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL/P.L. 117-58) expires in Fiscal Year (FY) 2026.

Background

Counties own and operate 44 percent of public road miles, more than any other level of government, and 38 percent of bridges yet receive no direct federal support for these critical assets that support many more Americans than just our residents.

While the BIL created dozens of new competitive grant programs through the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) where counties are directly eligible to apply, we have been significantly under awarded in comparison to city and state applicants. This is largely because these opportunities require competitive applications which need human and physical capital and expertise that most counties simply do not have.

Traditionally, federal highway reauthorizations apportion roughly 90 percent of federal highway funds directly to state departments of transportation (DOTs) via formulas. Counties must compete amongst ourselves, with other local governments and state DOTs, and others for the funding opportunities available in the remaining 10 percent.

This historical trend in transportation funding has resulted in a chronic lack of investment in local infrastructure, leading to billions in deferred maintenance backlogs across the country that compromise safety and network efficiency for the millions of Americans who travel our local roads each day. This is especially true in rural America where most public roadways lie.

In FY 2026, Congress will have the opportunity to address this inequity and renew other programs critical to county-supported surface transportation systems in the next highway reauthorization.

Key Talking Points

• Counties own, operate and maintain 44 percent of public road miles – more than any other level of government – and 38 percent of bridges.
• Despite our vast infrastructure responsibilities, counties are significantly under awarded in USDOT’s competitive programs in comparison to our city and state partners.
• Often, counties’ inability to compete is due to capital and capacity constraints, which are felt acutely in rural areas where 70 percent of the nation’s roadways are located.
• These funding inequities have had serious consequences, including a 2:1 fatality rate on rural versus urban roads.
• To ensure the safe and efficient operation of our nation’s transportation network, competitive funding opportunities cannot continue to come in lieu of guaranteed, direct funding for locally owned roads and bridges.