And the scary thing is that it's not just road maintenance. It's sewer/water, electricity, and bridges, too. There has been so much exurbian expansion in the past two decades where the initial infrastructure costs were paid by the developer but then handed over to the town/county/state for maintenance. The municipalities count on property taxes to cover the cost, but with A) the real estate crash in many markets, and B) a general recession and a move of many younger earners back to urban areas, that money just isn't there.
- Low-use gravel roads are ~50% of paved road maintenance cost.
- Moderate-use gravel roads are ~350% of paved road maintenance cost.
Yikes.