How Does The Quality Of Your City's Roads Measure Up?

USA Today publishes a chart showing the quality of road ratings for U.S. metro areas with populations above 250,000.

1 minute read

May 27, 2005, 1:00 PM PDT

By Chris Steins @planetizen


Ratings are based on TRIP analysis of 2003 Federal Highway Administration data.

California cities seemed to fare the worst. Among cities with the highest percentage of roads rated "poor":

  • San Jose (67%)
  • St. Louis (66%)
  • Los Angeles (64%)
  • Antioch, CA (62%)
  • San Francisco-Oakland (60%)
  • San Diego (58%)
  • Trenton (54%)

    However, a 1999 GAO report (PDF, 1MB) suggests state ratings are not based on consistently applied criteria across the nation.

    Thanks to Chris Steins

  • Friday, May 27, 2005 in USA Today

    portrait of professional woman

    I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

    I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

    Mary G., Urban Planner

    Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

    Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

    Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

    A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

    June 18, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

    Rendering of Shirley Chisholm Village four-story housing development with person biking in front.

    San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning

    SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.

    June 8, 2025 - Fast Company

    Woman and young girl looking at subway map, woman pointing.

    Can We Please Give Communities the Design They Deserve?

    Often an afterthought, graphic design impacts everything from how we navigate a city to how we feel about it. One designer argues: the people deserve better.

    June 9, 2025 - John Pobojewski

    Map of EV charging ports in rural U.S. communities.

    The EV “Charging Divide” Plaguing Rural America

    With “the deck stacked” against rural areas, will the great electric American road trip ever be a reality?

    June 20 - The Daily Yonder

    Google street view of Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn with pedestrians crossing a crosswalk and cyclist in the bike lane.

    Judge Halts Brooklyn Bike Lane Removal

    Lawyers must prove the city was not acting “arbitrarily, capriciously, and illegally” in ordering the hasty removal.

    June 20 - StreetsBlog NYC

    Close-up of cracked and damaged two-lane roadway with double yellow stripes on a bright sunny day.

    Engineers Gave America's Roads an Almost Failing Grade — Why Aren't We Fixing Them?

    With over a trillion dollars spent on roads that are still falling apart, advocates propose a new “fix it first” framework.

    June 19 - Transportation for America