Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer signed the 14th executive order of his administration on Oct. 3 establishing the Delaware Task Force on Sustainable Transportation Funding, seeking to determine how best to sustainably fund the state’s infrastructure.
The task force will address long-term challenges facing the state’s Transportation Trust Fund (TTF), which was established in 1987 to serve as a dedicated funding source for construction, maintenance, and improvements. The Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) identified growing funding gaps between available revenues and the investments required to meet current and future transportation needs. The group will also ensure Delaware’s infrastructure remains strong, reliable, and sustainable for decades to come.
The task force will be led by Secretary of Transportation Shanté Hastings, who will serve as its Chair. It will be comprised of a diverse group of legislators, experts and local union leaders. The task force will be composed of at least 18 other members including OMB Director Brian Maxwell, Finance Secretary Michael Smith, four members of the state legislature and other appointees chosen by the governor. All the members will come together to develop long-term strategies for maintaining and strengthening the state’s transportation system. It will work with partners across sectors to continue to build safe, modern and resilient transportation networks to chart a sustainable path forward for the state.
Specific needs, such as aging infrastructure, changing traffic patterns and increasing construction costs, have been identified as issues to be tackled. Additionally, as extreme weather events become more frequent and dire, there is a need to reinforce the transportation system so it can withstand extreme weather and natural disasters. Each of these topics will be addressed by the task force through public-private collaboration.
Over the next 20 years, the force will work with stakeholders to proactively identify trends in transportation revenues, expenditures, and capital needs. It will also review TTF’s financial condition and seek other revenue sources and solutions to address Delaware’s transportation challenges. The group will meet for the first time in October 2025 and issue a report of their findings by December 2026.
Photos by Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
