States falling behind on road maintenance needs as costs increase. (Source: MIRS.news, Published 08/10/2026) (CHICAGO) - Thirty-three states are falling short of their own goals for maintaining roads, bridges and other transportation infrastructure as construction costs rise faster than the revenues traditionally used to pay for repairs, lawmakers were told earlier this month. State fuel tax receipts grew about 50% between 2003 and 2023, while construction costs nearly tripled over the same period, David Draine of the Pew Charitable Trusts told lawmakers during a National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) panel. A majority of states expect either a funding shortfall, an infrastructure condition shortfall or both over the next decade, based on projections in their transportation asset management plans, Draine said. The problem is compounded by years of deferred maintenance. When states delay preserving roads and bridges, the need does not disappear and repairs can become significantly more expensive, leaving future taxpayers with the bill and potentially crowding out other state spending priorities. At the same time, the gas tax that states have traditionally relied on to fund transportation is becoming less dependable as vehicles become more fuel efficient and electric vehicles account for a larger share of those on the road. States have responded by increasing fuel taxes, imposing or raising fees on electric and hybrid vehicles and considering other options, including expanded tolling and charges based on the number of miles a vehicle travels. Draine said those efforts have generally been incremental rather than based on identifying the full size of a state's transportation funding gap and finding enough revenue to close it. The funding challenge persists despite increased investment by states and the federal government. Caroline Sevier of the American Society of Civil Engineers said the nation's overall infrastructure grade reached a "C" for the first time in the organization's most recent report card, reflecting improvement following state investments and an infusion of federal money through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. But the nation's overall infrastructure investment gap continues to grow and is now projected at $3.7 trillion over the next 10 years, Sevier said. Rising costs are driving part of the gap, along with growing infrastructure needs in areas including water and energy. "There is still a lot of room for improvement," she said. Illinois offers one example of how states have tried to address the problem. Holly Bieneman, director of the Office of Planning and Programming at the Illinois Department of Transportation, said that a decade ago the state did not have enough money available to take full advantage of federal transportation grants. Illinois lawmakers responded in 2019 with a capital package that doubled the state's motor fuel tax, indexed it to inflation and added $50 to vehicle registration fees. Since then, Illinois' capital program has doubled in size, Bieneman said. "We made a lot of good progress, but still have a long way to go," she said. The state continues to face challenges, including a declining transportation workforce that has forced Illinois to rely increasingly on outside consultants. Bieneman said lawmakers were able to make the case for higher transportation taxes and fees in part because residents could see the deterioration of the state's roads themselves and data showed what would happen without additional investment. "I think that really helped to make our case," she said. Panelists also emphasized that continued maintenance is cheaper in the long run than allowing roads, bridges and other infrastructure to deteriorate until major reconstruction is necessary. Draine said deferred maintenance ultimately shifts costs to future taxpayers while making it harder for states to fund other priorities and prepare transportation systems for extreme weather and other future risks.

The Pew Charitable Trusts has appointed William Foster as its next president and chief executive officer, effective 1 March 2027. Foster will succeed Susan K. Urahn, who has led the organisation for 30 years and will continue in her role through February 2027. Foster currently serves as managing partner of The Bridgespan Group, a global nonprofit advisory firm. Throughout his career, he has worked with philanthropists, nonprofit leaders, and policymakers to develop strategies and scale impact across various issues. Christopher Jones, chair of Pew's board of directors, praised Foster's understanding of the nonprofit sector and commitment to nonpartisan, evidence-based work. The appointment follows a months-long search conducted by a board-led committee.

Its Ocean Conference should build on recent conservation gains. Delivering on new and existing commitments with financing and implementation is vital to success Article June 10, 2026 3 min While the past year has brought remarkable progress for ocean conservation, what comes next in terms of implementing and sustaining recent marine protections will determine their success. In January, the United Nations high seas treaty entered into force, creating the first comprehensive legal framework to protect biodiversity in the nearly two-thirds of the ocean that lies beyond any single country's jurisdiction. Months earlier, French Polynesia announced the creation of Tainui Ātea, the world's largest marine protected area (MPA), which includes a network covering more than 1.1 million square kilometers (425,000 square miles) fully safeguarded from extractive activities. French Polynesia President Moetai Brotherson also pledged additional protections by World Ocean Day on 8 June. These and other recent national commitments represent encouraging progress toward protecting at least 30% of the ocean by 2030, the "30 by 30" target that nearly every country in the world agreed to under the 2022 Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. In fact, earlier this year, global ocean protection reached 10% - though only about 3.5% of the ocean qualifies as fully or highly protected, the levels that scientists say are needed to deliver the greatest conservation, biodiversity and ecosystem benefits. Of course, announcements alone do not protect the ocean. When governments, scientists, Indigenous peoples and civil society groups gather this month for the 11th Its Ocean Conference in Mombasa, Kenya, the central question will be whether new and existing marine protections will deliver the results their backers promised. What happens after the announcement. Effective MPAs are long-term arrangements among governments, communities, scientists and other partners who work together over decades to ensure effective and sustainable conservation. Science shows that MPAs deliver results when they are highly or fully protected, large, well-enforced, given enough time to mature, adequately funded and equitably governed in partnership with local communities. When any of those conditions is missing, ecological benefits weaken and political support eventually does too. Pew Bertarelli Ocean Legacy, a partnership between Swiss philanthropist and ocean advocate Dona Bertarelli and The Pew Charitable Trusts, has worked for more than a decade with governments and coastal communities to create large-scale MPAs, including building the financing, governance and local capacity those protections need to endure. The more than 20 MPAs that the Pew Bertarelli Ocean Legacy has helped establish or expand now account for roughly 90% of the ocean that is currently under full or high protection. That partnership works in concert with others, including Blue Nature Alliance, a collaboration collectively led by Pew, Conservation International, the Global Environment Facility, the Minderoo Foundation and the Rob Walton Foundation that helps advance ocean conservation areas from designation to effective management. Since 2020, the alliance has supported the creation, expansion or improved the management of more than 160 ocean conservation areas as part of the goal of helping secure the effective conservation of 5% of the global ocean - 18 million square kilometers. For both Pew Bertarelli Ocean Legacy and Blue Nature Alliance, work on protected areas begins with involving the local people and communities that would be most affected by the changes. For Pew to support a conservation area, it must benefit the coastal communities that depend on the ocean and must align with their priorities. 3 ways Its Ocean Conference can succeed. Governments and others preparing for the Its Ocean Conference in Mombasa should focus on three priorities: Financing. The largest constraint on effective ocean protection is the financial gap between what's needed to meet conservation commitments and the money available to do so. Despite an uptick in funding in recent years, global funding levels still fall billions of dollars short of what's needed. Some solutions to this challenge have emerged. For example, the 2023 Galápagos debt-for-nature conversion, which Pew Bertarelli Ocean Legacy helped develop, is forecast to generate more than $450 million for marine conservation. Likewise, arrangements known as project finance for permanence agreements, which lock in all financial, policy and community commitments simultaneously to fund and protect entire ecosystems for generations to come, are proving successful around the world. Other blended finance models also show promise to put conservation on stable, long-term footing. The ocean is a global commons and, while private philanthropy can help protect it, government funding is needed to ensure sufficient, long-term marine conservation. Implementation capacity. A growing body of research confirms that an MPA's success depends above all on whether it has the staffing and budget to be actively managed. This stewardship includes training managers, equipping monitoring teams and supporting Indigenous and community-led management systems. Done right, this work can make the difference between an area that's protected in name only and one that delivers conservation and community gains. Integration. MPAs do not exist in isolation. They sit within broader systems of fisheries management, coastal development and climate adaptation. Ultimately, the U.N. high seas treaty's success will depend in part on how it is implemented and integrated with regional fisheries bodies, sectoral organizations and national maritime governance arrangements. Coherent ocean conservation requires that these systems work together, not in parallel. Follow the science. Effective and lasting protections draw on the best available science and evidence, and that includes local knowledge passed down through generations in local and Indigenous communities. Pew - through its partnerships - will continue to support all aspects of this conservation in places where governments and communities have invited its support. Delegates at the Its Ocean Conference in Mombasa have an opportunity to build on recent progress and should do so with the above-mentioned priorities in mind. By doing so, they can help move the global community closer to the 30 by 30 target and benefit coastal communities, commercial fisheries and all who depend on a healthy ocean. Matt Rand oversees The Pew Charitable Trusts' large-scale marine habitat conservation work. Media contact. Felisa Klubes Director, Communications