AASHTO Journal, 4 December 2015
A report on Connecticut road conditions by the research group TRIP said motorists in the state’s three largest metropolitan areas are paying $5.1 billion a year in congestion, traffic crashes and vehicle operating costs due to “an inadequate transportation system.”
TRIP said it drew up that estimated based on “Connecticut roadways that lack some desirable safety features, have inadequate capacity to meet travel demands or have poor pavement conditions.”
The Nov. 24 report also listed the value of truck-carried freight shipments in the state, and noted that the condition of transportation networks affect company decisions on where to locate or expand production and distribution facilities.
It said drivers in the Bridgeport/Stamford area pay an extra $2.22 billion a year due to roadway infrastructure issues. Those in the Hartford capital area pay more than $2.23 billion. New Haven motorists incur an extra $2.05 billion.
The report said vehicle miles traveled in Connecticut grew by 18 percent from 1990 to 2013, and are projected to increase another 15 percent by 2030.
However, TRIP said, “a lack of adequate state and local funding has resulted in one-third of major urban roads and highways in Connecticut and one-quarter of major rural roads and highways having pavement surfaces in poor condition, providing a rough ride and costing motorists in the form of additional vehicle operating costs.”
The report also said more than one-third of locally and state-maintained bridges in Connecticut “show significant deterioration or do not meet current design standards often because of narrow lanes, inadequate clearances or poor alignment.”
That includes 9 percent of bridges rated structurally deficient, which can cause officials to close them or post special weight restrictions, while 26 percent are functionally obsolete for current traffic demand.
Besides the need for road and bridge improvements, TRIP said Connecticut’s heavily used transit system “plays a vital role in providing mobility in the state, [but] has significant preservation needs to replace aging vehicles and to repair rail lines and bridges.”