Looking Ahead

Unless otherwise renewed, the Local Option Sales Tax for street repairs will expire on June 30, 2024. While tremendous improvements have been made throughout the city, the current funding stream is not enough to cover all the road needs throughout the community. Extending the funding source would mean that additional roads can be repaired throughout our neighborhoods and corridors. It is clear without the extension of the Local Option Sales Tax, the City will need to seek other funding options to maintain the progress we have made so far. However, the competition for State and Federal grant programs that can be used for improvements to the City’s streets is much greater than the funding available, as communities across the country are tasked with maintaining aging infrastructure.

Since major reconstruction projects require multiple years of advanced planning, efforts have been made to keep projects “shovel-ready.” An extra year of projects has been included in the City’s master plan, minimizing any potential delays in continuing repair efforts if 2025 funding becomes available.

The City's current projections show significant deterioration without Paving for Progress. Even with a consistent funding source, the average network condition may degrade gradually due to the inflation of future construction costs. Without Paving for Progress, the number of roadways in “poor” condition may double in 10 years. Paving for Progress has not only allowed significant improvements to the streets already, but without its continuation, Cedar Rapids’ overall street conditions will suffer significantly.