DRIVE Alabama asks for worst roads

DRIVE Alabama is a coalition of community leaders and citizens led by county engineers from Alabama’s 67 counties. CONTRIBUTED

MADISON COUNTY – The DRIVE Alabama campaign is urging residents across the state to complete a two-question survey to identify their county’s worst roads.

DRIVE Alabama is a coalition of community leaders and citizens led by county engineers from Alabama’s 67 counties. “The coalition is speaking in one voice to bring attention to the growing infrastructure needs across the state of Alabama,” spokesperson Terri Sharpley Reynolds said.

Residents can rank the county’s top three road and bridge problems in four ways:

* Complete the survey at drivealabama.org/about/survey.‎

* Email drivealabama@gmail.com and include your county of residence.

* Visit Facebook/DRIVE Alabama and post the roads or bridges.

* Call the DRIVE Alabama hotline at 334-521-2419, and leave a message.

“No one understands the daily impact of poor road and bridge infrastructure like the people who have to drive those roads everyday,” Sonny Brasfield said. Brasfield is Executive Director of the Association of County Commissions of Alabama.

“It’s critical that Alabamians’ voices are loud and clear in any discussions about additional revenue to ensure those funds are prioritized in the most efficient manner,” Brasfield said.

County leaders say local input is especially critical because of discussions for legislation to generate additional revenue for local roads and bridges.

Recently, the American Society of Civil Engineers released the Alabama Infrastructure Report Card for the first time. Alabama’s roads and bridges received grades of D+ and C-, respectively.

“While a portion of the state gasoline tax is given to counties to pay for the maintenance and improvement of county roads, the funds cannot keep up when it costs $600,000 to pave 1,100 feet of road,” Brasfield said.

“If we don’t invest in transportation infrastructure soon, we’re going to see more and more road and bridge closings across the state,” he said.

DRIVE Alabama’s office is located at 100 N. Jackson St. in Montgomery. For more information, visit drivealabama.org, Facebook/DRIVE Alabama or Twitter.