|
|
Long range planning is an important tool to provide reliable services and dependable infrastructure to Cook County. While this concept is applied to many facets in our operation, two that are the most visible are equipment and infrastructure. The highway department maintains a large fleet of graders, tandem axle trucks, pickups, loaders, and a variety of other vehicles that are used in our daily operations. Additionally, we are responsible for approximately 300 miles of roadway and 61 bridges throughout the county. As you can imagine, each of these items has a cost. Planning for each item’s replacement and maintenance helps to smooth out the cost over time.
Our equipment replacement plan was approved by the Board of Commissioners in the Summer of 2021. The purpose of the plan was to analyze our fleet and determine:
• What we need or could get rid of
• Appropriate lifespans for each piece of equipment
• Cost of its replacement
• The most economical way to replace it all
The result is a plan that looks out 30 years, incorporating each and every piece of equipment owned by the highway department. This allowed us to smooth out the cost of replacing our equipment over time as opposed to years where cost may be low, then subsequent years in which costs would be incredibly high. Beginning in 2022 we budgeted $445,000 increasing 3% annually to account for rising costs. An important part of the plan is evaluating the condition of each piece of equipment. There’s no reason to replace a piece of equipment that is functioning at a reliable and safe level, but its eventual replacement still needs to be budgeted.
There is no doubt that $445,000 is a very large number. However, please consider the following when thinking about this number. The latest plow truck we purchased cost about $280,000 and we have 14 of those in our fleet. Graders cost about $500,000 and we have four of those in our fleet. Accounting for the remaining equipment, you can imagine the costs add up quickly. That is why the plan we developed was so vital to create a sustainable and affordable way for the department to maintain this fleet.
Additionally, our transportation improvement plan looks out 10 years and highlights which projects are going to be constructed in the county. Something we’ve discussed quite frequently is the status of our bridges in the county. Two years ago, about a quarter of bridges were considered structurally deficient and eligible for replacement. Compared to the rest of the state and even our rural counterparts Cook County stood out as having a severely deficient bridge inventory. Since then, we’ve replaced four of these structures and have plans to replace all eligible bridges by 2027. This is possible through the redesignation of some of our roads to unorganized territory (UT) roads which allows access to new funding sources through the state. Additionally, different grant opportunities have been secured and will be pursued to help alleviate any levy burden. Since 2021 we have secured $2.54 million in grants for road and bridge projects. That is money that would have otherwise had to come from local tax dollars.
As of this writing, we currently budget $200,000 annually for levy dependent bridge replacements and $110,000 annually for local road construction. For comparison, typical box culvert bridge replacements cost around $400,000 to $600,000. Recent paving projects show us about $500,000/ mile. Our gravel roads are also in need of repair and reconstruction. As traffic volumes increase, these roads require more maintenance. As we discuss long term strategy, whether reconstructing these roads to a 7-, 9- or 10-ton standard or paving them, we must include them in our plans. We are actively seeking alternative funding sources via grant programs, but there are no guarantees. Our Transportation Sales Tax (TST) revenue is tied up in bond payments for the next 10 to 15 years, and the new UT road designations and their subsequent allocations won’t fund an entire project each year. Just like replacing expensive equipment it’s important to budget and save for projects that are dependent on our local tax dollars.
Safety is paramount at the highway department. We need to have the equipment ready and available so we can provide you with routine and emergency access to your homes and ensure that our roads and bridges are up to standards to provide safe and reliable travel.
See you on the road!
County Connections is a column on timely topics and service information from your Cook County government. Cook County – Supporting Community Through Quality Public Service.
Leave a Reply