With the budget crisis plaguing so many states, pavement management will compete more vigorously for limited funds. Findings reported from a tri-state pooled-fund research project provide insights and guidelines for pavement improvement derived from the perceptions of the driving public. The Phase II responses from statewide surveys in Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin address the topics of perceptions of the State Departments of Transportation (DOTs), pavement repair tradeoffs, and pavement evaluation. The results disclose specific public perceptions of priorities for spending limited highway funds. Implications for pavement management, policy, planning, as well as for marketing to garner additional funds are explored