I'm sitting here in one of those boring budget subcommittee hearings in Annapolis, but like many of these boring budget events it has provided a few nuggests of insight into why the roads are looking so beat-up.
One of the charts from the State Highway Administration shows the amount the state is spending per lane-mile of road has dropped from above $56 to about $49 in the 2010 and 2011 budget years. This comes at a time when the price of steel and cement have been steadily increasing.
It's all a reflection of the spending cuts forced by the recession-related decline in transportation revenues.
Meanwhile, the General Assembly's budget analysts are recommending a decrease in Baltimore's share of highway use revenues by $30 million of the $131 million it currently receives annually.