A new report from TRIP has been released showing which regions have the worst maintained roads. United States drivers on average pay an annual 'hidden pothole tax' of $515, double that in Los Angeles and the Bay Area. Highway funding expires July 31.
"More than a quarter of U.S. urban roads and interstate highways are in poor condition, costing motorists more than $500 annually, according to a report released on Thursday as Congress debates extending transportation funding," writes Katie Reilly for Reuters.
The report, released by TRIP [previously The Road Information Project], a non-profit transportation research group in Washington, said driving on roads in disrepair could accelerate vehicle deterioration and increase needed maintenance and fuel consumption.
California is home to half of the ten regions with the highest share of pavements in poor condition, causing motorists the highest vehicle operating costs (VOC).
Rank |
Large Urban Area (500,000+ population) |
Percent Poor |
Rank |
Large Urban Area 500,000+ population) |
VOC Per Driver |
|
1 |
San Francisco--Oakland, CA |
74% |
1 |
San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
$ 1,044 |
|
2 |
Los Angeles--Long Beach--Santa Ana, CA |
73% |
2 |
Los Angeles--Long Beach--Santa Ana, CA |
$ 1,031 |
|
3 |
Concord, CA |
62% |
|
3 |
Concord, CA |
$ 954 |
4 |
Detroit, MI |
56% |
4 |
Tulsa, OK |
$ 928 |
|
5 |
San Jose, CA |
53% |
5 |
Oklahoma City, OK |
$ 917 |
|
6 |
Cleveland, OH |
52% |
6 |
Detroit, MI |
$ 866 |
|
7 |
New York--Newark, NY |
51% |
7 |
Cleveland, OH |
$ 845 |
|
8 |
San Diego, CA |
51% |
8 |
San Jose, CA |
$ 844 |
|
9 |
Grand Rapids, MI |
51% |
9 |
San Diego, CA |
$ 843 |
|
10 |
Honolulu, HI |
51% |
10 |
San Antonio, TX |
$ 838 |
Credit: TRIP
Credit goes to Christopher Ingraham of The Washington Post Wonkblog for coining the term used in the subject title of this post. "That $515 in extra costs the average driver pays is really nothing more than a hidden pothole tax," he wrote last month on the TRIP report, although it was officially released on July 23.
The term is an important one. Opponents of California's cap-and-trade fee that transportation fuel suppliers must pay the California Air Resources Board, about ten cents per gallon, called it a hidden gas tax. Angering opponents further is that rather than funds being used for road repair, they are added to the state's Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund and applied to projects that reduce emissions such as transit and transit-friendly affordable housing.
A bill to increase California's gas tax by 10 cents per gallon is opposed by Republicans who would rather the above carbon charge pay for road upkeep.
On Sunday, the U.S. Senate debated two unrelated amendments, the Export-Import Bank and the Affordable Care Act, to their six-year transportation reauthorization bill* that needs to be approved by both houses and signed by President Obama by the end of the month, or transportation funding ceases.
An alternative would be for the Senate to approve the five-month House patch bill which "got a boost (July 15) from President Barack Obama," wrote John McKinnon for The Wall Street Journal.
The White House said it supports the short-term extension of the highway program, “to give the House and Senate the necessary time to complete work on a long-term bill this year that increases investment to meet the nation’s infrastructure needs.”
Endnote: *The amendments are to H.R. 22, the bill the Senate is using as their 'vehicle' to transportation reauthorization as it has already passed the House, unlike their bill, the DRIVE Act.
FULL STORY: Poor U.S. urban road conditions take toll on motorists' pocketbooks: report

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

Restaurant Patios Were a Pandemic Win — Why Were They so Hard to Keep?
Social distancing requirements and changes in travel patterns prompted cities to pilot new uses for street and sidewalk space. Then it got complicated.

Map: Where Senate Republicans Want to Sell Your Public Lands
For public land advocates, the Senate Republicans’ proposal to sell millions of acres of public land in the West is “the biggest fight of their careers.”

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

California Homeless Arrests, Citations Spike After Ruling
An investigation reveals that anti-homeless actions increased up to 500% after Grants Pass v. Johnson — even in cities claiming no policy change.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
Custer County Colorado
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)