HR0175 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0175 LRB094 11548 DRH 42524 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Proper pavement preservation & maintenance has recently gained national attention as a critical part of any comprehensive plan to maintain highway systems; and

WHEREAS, The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) defines preventive maintenance as "the planned strategy of cost effective treatments to an existing roadway system that preserves the system, retards future deterioration, and maintains or improves the functional condition of the system"; and

WHEREAS, The National Center for Pavement Preservation (NCPP) was opened in October of 2003, with the mission of promoting sensible pavement preservation strategies nationwide; and

WHEREAS, On October 8, 2004, the Federal Highway Administration put out a policy memorandum titled Preventive Maintenance Eligibility that stated the following: "Timely preventive maintenance and preservation activities are necessary to ensure proper performance of the transportation infrastructure. Experience has shown that when properly applied, preventive maintenance is a cost effective way of extending the service life of highway assets and therefore is eligible for Federal-Aid funding. By using lower-cost system preservation methods, States can improve system conditions, minimize road construction impacts on traveling public, and better manage their resources. Preventive maintenance offers State DOT's a way of increasing the return on their infrastructure investment"; and

WHEREAS, The treatments and activities commonly defined as preventive maintenance include: joint repairs, crack seals, pavement patching, and thin surface treatments such as chip-seals, ultra-thin hot-mix, and micro-surfacing; and

WHEREAS, The NCPP along with AASHTO have published studies showing that every dollar spent on preventive maintenance saves the user agency six dollars down the line in rehabilitation and reconstruction costs; and

WHEREAS, The Foundation for Pavement Preservation, a non-profit consortium of industry and government groups, conducted a study that showed the State of Michigan, by implementing a comprehensive preventive maintenance program just seven years ago, was able to spend approximately $800 million less to achieve current pavement conditions; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we encourage furthering the effort to create a comprehensive pavement preservation and maintenance plan in Illinois; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we commend the Illinois Department of Transportation and the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority for initiating Illinois' first full-scale pavement preservation plan; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be delivered to the Secretary of Transportation and the Chairman of the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority.