Area getting $1.68 million in road assistance

Much of the $1.68 million in state road money allocated to municipalities in Craven, Pamlico and Jones counties is on its way this week with the release of Powell Bill Funds to the 501 municipalities statewide.

The N.C. Department of Transportation has distributed nearly $132 million in State Street Aid, also known as the Powell Bill Fund.

“This program provides cities and towns with money to help pay for repairs, maintenance and construction, including widening and adding sidewalks on the streets they maintain,” said Gene Conti, the state transportation secretary.

“At a time when communities are faced with reduced budget revenue, the funding from the Powell Bill provides much needed assistance to improve their transportation infrastructure,” Conti said.

 Powell Bill money comes from the state gas taxes collected and other highway user fees, and the fund is down this year by about $14 million from 2008. The cut comes mostly from the recession.

Powell Bill money is allocated annually using a formula set by the General Assembly that awards 75 percent of the funds based on population and 25 percent based on city-owned street miles in each municipality.

The individual town decides how to spend the money on projects that meet certain qualifications. 

Charlotte is getting the most with $17.3 million based on an estimated population of 700,464 and 2,368 miles of city-maintained streets. Next are Raleigh with $9 million, Greensboro with $6.7 million, Winston-Salem with $6 million, and Durham with $5.5 million. In all, 22 cities received at least $1 million to assist with their transportation projects.

 The fund’s name comes from Junius K. Powell, a former state senator and mayor of Whiteville. He led a list of legislators sponsoring a 1951 bill to help the state's cities with urban road problems. The first allocation of Powell Bill funds was in that year for $4.5 million, and it was distributed to 386 cities and towns.

2009 Powell Bill and Highway Trust Allocations

Town             Population       Mileage  Allocation ($)

Bayboro              1,275           4.71           32,116

Bridgeton              311            4.07           12,276

Cove City              412            2.93           12,519

Dover                    451           2.94           13,298

Havelock             22,808         47.20         518,170

Maysville                 990          8.34           32,059

Mesic                     240          1.37             6,780

Minnesott Beach       364          5.72           15,823

New Bern             26,155       149.01         738,518

Oriental                   863         13.14           36,874

Pollocksville             258           3.36            10,159

River Bend            3,110          16.87           86,524

Stonewall                280           1.50              7,761

Trent Woods          4,410         13.78          107,267

Trenton                   234           2.26             8,016

Vanceboro                907          7.94           29,827

Vandemere               277          4.84            12,782