More Efficient Local Rural Road Administration

A case study analysis of the Illinois township road system was undertaken for the purpose of evaluating potential administrative efficiencies. Extensive statistical data were developed for 147 randomly selected local road units. It was found that larger administrative units were able to achieve certain economies of scale in terms of both administrative and total operating costs per mile. In addition, the analysis revealed that there frequently exists an imbalance in the revenue-producing capabilities of urbanized versus nonurbanized road units. In seeking to achieve greater efficiencies in local rural government through realignment or consolidation of individual road units, it was recommended that each unit should be no smaller than that which requires a full-time administrator, and that large differences in the assessed valuation per mile between individual road units should be minimized.