Analyst points to inefficiencies as Pritzker touts record spending on infrastructure

By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square
The Center Square

(The Center Square) – After Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced the biggest infrastructure spending plan in state history, a transportation policy director says Illinois taxpayers are not getting great returns on their investments.

Days after ordering state agencies to identify budget efficiencies and reductions up to 4%, the governor announced a record-high infrastructure spend of $50.6 billion of taxpayer funds over six years.

“From the beginning, I have worked with the General Assembly to put rebuilding Illinois’ infrastructure at the top of our agenda,” Pritzker said Wednesday.

Pritzker and Illinois Transportation Secretary Gia Biagi joined organized labor leaders for the announcement at the Laborers Training Center in Chicago.

The governor’s Rebuild Illinois capital plan enacted in 2019, doubled the gas tax and links annual gas tax increases to the Consumer Price Index. With the latest increase on July 1, Illinois has one of the highest gas taxes in the nation at 48.3 cents per gallon.

Baruch Feigenbaum, senior managing director of transportation policy for Reason Foundation, said Illinois taxpayers spend a lot of money on infrastructure, but the returns are not great.

“When we look at our Annual Highway Report, we look at things such as roadway and bridge condition. We look at safety. We look at other categories. Overall, Illinois ranks 36th, in large part due to very high spending compared to other states,” Feigenbaum told The Center Square.

All of the states bordering Illinois ranked better, with Missouri coming in at No. 9 and Kentucky at No. 11. The Land of Lincoln ranked 38th in structurally-deficient bridges.

Feigenbaum explained how Illinois could be more efficient if the state developed a quantitative project selection process to weigh costs and benefits.

“States such as Virginia and North Carolina have put in place these processes. It ensures that they’re balancing need, they’re balancing cost. They look at where there is future growth in a state, where there isn’t in choosing projects that way, and they’ve been able to stretch their resources and actually build more projects that way,” Feigenbaum said.

Feigenbaum said Ohio has a good process of bundling maintenance materials to reduce costs.

Reason Foundation ranked Illinois 46th out of 50 in traffic congestion.

Pritzker said he does not feel sorry for motorists who suffer delays and additional traffic due to construction.

“If you drove here and you passed an orange cone and you had to slow down, you all will appreciate this. I always say to people, ‘Sorry,’ but not really. I’m not sorry, because this what’s good for the state and I’m very proud of it,” Pritzker said.

Greg Bishop and Kevin Bessler contributed to this story.