Crude Awakening
Many counties in North Dakota are experiencing a boom in oil and gas production. This boom has brought a huge surge in population to North Dakota's once-declining towns. However, these new residents are straining public resources. There is a significant housing shortage, and the transportation infrastructure is woefully inadequate to support the heavy traffic generated by the oil industry. Drilling each new well requires more than 2,000 truck trips, and the heavy trucks are destroying the roadways, which are often two-lane country roads. The roads also cannot support the sheer number of vehicles brought by the new workforce. Congestion and long commute times are becoming problems for the first time in many areas. Local governments receive only a small portion of the oil tax revenues generated in their county, which makes the maintenance and the provision of adequate public services difficult. In addition, many officials see the boom as a temporary phenomenon and are reluctant to invest in infrastructure that may be superfluous in just a few years. Many local governments are working to capitalize on the short-term growth and build infrastructure that will be useful long after the oil industry declines.
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Availability:
- Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/08943842
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Authors:
- Holeywell, Ryan
- Publication Date: 2011-8
Language
- English
Media Info
- Media Type: Print
- Features: Photos;
- Pagination: pp 24-31
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Serial:
- Governing
- Volume: 24
- Issue Number: 11
- Publisher: Congressional Quarterly, Incorporated
- ISSN: 0894-3842
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Heavy duty trucks; Infrastructure; Local government; Oil fields; Oil well drilling; Population growth; Traffic congestion; Truck traffic
- Geographic Terms: North Dakota
- Subject Areas: Highways; Planning and Forecasting; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 01352957
- Record Type: Publication
- Files: TRIS
- Created Date: Sep 30 2011 7:37AM