Road Conditions

From Road Conditions & Spending by State: Does More Money Mean Better Roads? by Deb Gordon.  

One would expect that road condition would be a function of usage (both number of vehicles and weight) and weather conditions (areas with heavy rains or frequent freezing thawing conditions having heavier wear.)  Then there is the policy and regulatory environment of each state driving both how much is spent and how much it costs.  

The findings are:

About 1 in 10 U.S. roads are in poor condition, but urban roads are even worse: 1 in 5 are in poor condition.

California and Rhode Island were the states ranked worst for road roughness, with 44% and 41% of roads in poor condition, respectively.

New Hampshire and Alabama had the best roads in the U.S. and spent some of the lowest capital outlay per mile ($9.82 and $6.44, respectively).

States generally spend in proportion to how much their roads are utilized, reflecting both the need to address wear and tear and how roads are funded — typically, via gas taxes.

However, how much each state spends on roads has no correlation with road quality after adjusting for vehicle miles.

 

44% of California’s roads are in poor condition, the most of any state in the U.S.

Three-quarters of spending to maintain and fix roads and highways comes from state and local governments. 

According to the Urban Institute, the average state spends nearly 8% of its budget on roads. The rate of investment has not changed much over time. 

State highways are the deadliest type of road in the U.S., accounting for 33% of all traffic fatalities.

 

Through the Highway Trust Fund (HTF), the federal government provides grants to states to maintain and improve the Interstate Highway System. 

According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the fund ran a $16 billion deficit in 2020. The CBO’s projections predict that the fund, which has relied on transfers from general tax funds since 2008, will be depleted by 2023.