A Trip report found more than one-fourth of urban interstates, freeways and arterial routes with at least two lanes were paved in “poor condition”, and cost the average motorist $516 per year in additional maintenance costs.
Trip analyzed data from the Federal Highway Administration’s 2013 road ratings. According to the report, the cities with the greatest share of damaged roads are San Francisco (74%), Los Angeles and Long Beach (73%) and Detroit (56%).
Among smaller cities, with a population between 250,000 to 500,000 people, the worst roads are in Flint, Mich. (54%); Antioch, Calif. (52%); and Santa Rosa, Calif. (49%), according to Trip’s report.
The highest cost for vehicle maintenance totaled $1,044 per year for motorists in San Francisco and $1,031 for motorists traveling in Los Angeles.
The TRIP report comes at a pivotal time for the future of our nations infrastructure system, as the Senate debates how to pay for a six-year bill that only has enough funding to last three years.
Bud Wright, executive director of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, said road maintenance depends on federal investment.
"We can do better than the uncertainty of short-term extensions," Wright said.
