Roads Continue to Deteriorate Nationally, Costing Drivers and the Economy, TRIP Report Says

AASHTO Journal, 4 October 2013

Rough urban roads are costing American drivers as much as $80 million annually, according to a report released Thursday by the national transportation nonprofit group TRIP that says 27 percent of the nation’s major urban roads are in “substandard” condition.

The report, “Bumpy Roads Ahead: America’s Roughest Rides and Strategies to Make our Roads Smoother,” identified the 20 large and mid-size cities with the highest percentage of pavements in poor condition (from 38 percent to as high as 64 percent) and the highest vehicle operating costs, which range from $589 per vehicle each year to as much as $832 per vehicle annually.

The report offers several suggestions to improve urban roads, most notably increased investment, which is needed not only to make roadway improvements, but to just maintain their current condition. Other suggestions to improve urban roadways are to: implement and fund a pavement preservation program that stalls the need for major rehabilitation through maintenance while the roads are still in good condition; consider using pavement materials and designs that will provide a longer-lasting surface when critical routes are constructed or redone; resurface roads in a timely manner using materials designed to be the most durable in a particular climate and taking into account the level and mix of traffic on the road; maintain an aggressive pothole repair program that uses the best patching material available; and invest adequately to ensure that 75 percent of local road surfaces are in good condition.

TRIP’s 32-page “Bumpy Roads Ahead: America’s Roughest Rides and Strategies to Make our Roads Smoother” report is available here.

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