The argument is that the cost cities are paying for the roads is less than they need to. Underfund a school by 50% and there are immediate consequences - class

The argument is that the cost cities are paying for the roads is less than they need to. Underfund a school by 50% and there are immediate consequences - class sizes go up, more consumable supplies like photocopying, art or gym equipment run out. Student satisfaction goes way down, if they can't heat/AC the building as appropriate, they have less personal space in classrooms and less time with teachers. Underfund a road by 50% and in the first year and nothing happens. Over a few years, you get potholes. With the standards these roads are being built to, in 30 years the road is unusable. But there's no money to rebuild it. It was built the first time with revenue from new developments, but there's no such revenue now. People aren't going to sell their houses and give a comparable amount to the city as it took the developer in building it to setup that infrastructure (i.e. probably a net loss for the home owner, even with property price inflation ahead of general inflation) just because the road needs replacing.