Transportation Leadership Network

Poor roads cost California drivers as much as $778 a year   

 Drivers in California’s major cities are feeling the pinch of heavy traffic – on the road and in their wallets. 

TRIP, a national transportation research group, found that California – despite some progress – still rules the bumpy roads. Click here for details on California cities with population greater than 250,000.

These poor roads create additional vehicle operating costs (accelerated vehicle deterioration, additional maintenance needs and increased fuel consumption).  In California’s biggest urban areas, poor roads cost the average motorist more than $650 a year, and approximately $750 a year in the Los Angeles and the Bay Area.  That compares with a $413 national average. 

“The good news is California is making progress in improving freeways and urban roads, thanks to a serious commitment at all levels of government to address the problem,” said Mark Watts, executive director of Transportation California, the state’s leading education and advocacy group for transportation.

“The bad news is now that we’ve made a down payment on our infrastructure future, our funding again is threatened.  The state budget crisis, a possible reduction in federal funding plus escalating construction costs will put a crimp in the buying power of California’s imperiled transportation dollars,” Watts said.

The deficiency of gas taxes
Roadway maintenance and rehabilitation typically are funded through motor fuel tax revenues.  “Gas taxes -- state and federal -- are not keeping up with basic maintenance requirements,” Watts said.  “There is a real danger of lagging further behind.”

Federal funding for highway repairs and improvements in the fiscal year 2009, starting October 1, 2008, may be reduced as a result of a forecast deficit of $3.2 billion in the Highway Account of the Federal Highway Trust Fund. Congress is currently considering providing additional highway funding to avoid steep cuts in federal highway funding.   

“It is critical to keep the momentum we’ve created over the past two years,” Watts said.  “If we take our foot off the pedal now, it will be even more costly to fix our roads.”

Click here to read more on this story.
To go directly to the TRIP report, click here.