WHEREAS, under § 131 of Title 17 of the Delaware Code, all public roads, causeways, highways, and bridges in this State which are constructed, acquired, or accepted by the Department of Transportation (“Department”) are under the absolute care, management, and control of the Department; and
WHEREAS, there are almost 1500 miles of subdivision streets in this State and the Department’s responsibility under § 131 of Title 17 includes subdivision streets under § 131(b) and (g) of Title 17 and subdivision streets that are accepted by the Department; and
WHEREAS, subdivision streets rank low on the Department’s priority, and funding in the Capital Transportation Program is not sufficient to meet the needs of subdivision streets; and
WHEREAS, the General Assembly created the Community Transportation Fund in the mid-1980s to enable individual legislators to target for repair or maintenance subdivision streets that do not meet the Department’s prioritization under the Capital Transportation Program; and
WHEREAS, over the last 2 fiscal years the General Assembly appropriated $10 million to the Community Transportation Fund to be used by the Department as part of an innovative pilot program to accelerate the improvement and quality of subdivision streets; and
WHEREAS, the Department’s January 2020 report to the Co-Chairs of the Joint Legislative Committee on the Capital Improvement Program indicated that there were “315 [subdivision] street locations statewide with a pavement condition rating of 25 or less, meaning poor pavement condition” and the appropriated funds are sufficient to make repairs to just 76 locations; and
WHEREAS, at the rate indicated by the Department’s January 2020 report, it will take an extended period of time to repair the subdivision streets identified in the report; and
WHEREAS, it is evident that the Department does not have sufficient resources to adequately repair and maintain subdivision streets.
NOW, THEREFORE:
BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives and the Senate of the 150th General Assembly of the State of Delaware, with the approval of the Governor, that the Secretary of the Department of Transportation is directed to report to the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Controller General, Governor, and Director of the Office of Management and Budget by December 7, 2020, on the amount of funds needed to adequately repair and maintain subdivision streets within the Capital Transportation Program without reliance on the Community Transportation Fund.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that, following enactment, a copy of this Joint Resolution be sent by the Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives to the Secretary of the Department of Transportation.
SYNOPSIS
This Joint Resolution directs the Secretary of the Department of Transportation to report to the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Controller General, Governor, and Director of the Office of Management and Budget by December 7, 2020, on the amount of funds needed to adequately repair and maintain subdivision streets.
