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 3 fiscal years the General Assembly appropriated $15 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, in a January 2019 report to the Co-Chairs of the Joint Legislative Committee on the Capital Improvement Program the Department stated that a review revealed “315 [subdivision] street locations statewide with a pavement condition rating of 25 or less, meaning poor pavement condition” and the appropriated funds were sufficient to make repairs to just 44 locations; and
WHEREAS, since the Department’s January 2019 report, the Department selected 35 locations for repairs in fiscal year 2020 and 26 locations for repairs in fiscal year 2021; and
WHEREAS, at the rate indicated by the Department’s January 2019 report, and subsequent action, it would take an extended period of time to repair the 315 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 of the 151st General Assembly of the State of Delaware, the Senate concurring therein, that the Secretary of the Department of Transportation is requested to provide a report within 30 days of final passage of this Concurrent Resolution to the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Controller General, Director of the Division of Research of Legislative Council, Governor, and Director of the Office of Management and Budget that includes 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 final passage, a copy of this Concurrent Resolution be sent by the Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives to the Secretary of the Department of Transportation.
