by Dennis Slater, president of the Association of Equipment Manufacturers

Mark Twain is credited with saying, "Everybody complains about the weather but nobody does anything about it." The same could be said about our deteriorating roads and bridges, except that a few organizations, such as The Road Information Program (TRIP), are actually trying to clearly define the problems and offer solutions.

This week TRIP, a national nonprofit group, joined with key West Virginians in Charleston to communicate how poorly maintained surface transportation affects state residents. The report, "Future Mobility in West Virginia: Meeting the State's Need for Safe and Efficient Mobility," makes it clear roads and bridges in the Mountain State badly need attention.

If this sounds like just another funding pitch, think about what each West Virginia motorist pays each year for poor roads: $280. That's $280 for accelerated vehicle depreciation, additional repair costs, increased fuel consumption and tire wear. Statewide, for all motorists, that's $371 million annually. Wouldn't that money be better spent upgrading roads and bridges, to save motorists more money in the longer run?

Along with improved driving conditions, building and repairing roads and bridges spreads the spending around. One government estimate says that nearly a $1 billion invested in infrastructure creates nearly 35,000 jobs. With state unemployment at 8.5 percent in May, there is no time like the present to start rebuilding.

Critics say spending on infrastructure takes too long to get into the system, but earlier this year it was estimated that more than 3,000 highway projects across the country could begin construction within 60 to 90 days. That quick turnaround not only means jobs but also increased safety, accompanied by vehicle and traffic efficiency. West Virginia suffered 2.10 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles of travel in 2007, which was the third highest rate in the nation - and 54 percent higher than the national average of 1.36. Improved safety, built into improved roads and bridges, would certainly change these numbers for the better.