Just in time for the heavy holiday travel period, a new report states an inadequate transportation system costs Connecticut motorists $5.1 billion every year in the form of additional vehicle operating costs, congestion-related delays and traffic crashes. It works out to be more than $2,000 a year for individual drivers.
The report was presented by TRIP, a nonprofit Washington, D.C., organization that researches, evaluates and distributes economic and technical data on surface transportation issues. It says the quality of Connecticut’s transportation system will play a vital role in the state’s level of economic growth and in the quality of life.
Drivers in the Hartford area face the highest annual costs at $2,236 annually. The Bridgeport/Stamford area was next at $2,222 and New Haven drivers see yearly costs of $2,050. The average cost to drivers in the state’s largest urban areas is a result of driving on roads that are deteriorated, congested and lack some desirable safety features. Roadway features that impact safety include the number of lanes, lane widths, lighting, lane markings, rumble strips, shoulders, guard rails, other shielding devices, median barriers and intersection design.
The rate of population and economic growth in Connecticut have resulted in increased demands on the state’s major roads and highways, leading to increased wear and tear on the transportation system. The report says another major culprit is the increase in miles driven annually. In 1990 it was 26.3 billion miles. That number jumped to 30.9 billion miles in 2013.
Among the report’s other findings: 33 percent of Connecticut’s major locally and state-maintained urban roads and highways have pavements in poor condition, while an additional 46 percent of the state’s major state and locally maintained urban roads are rated in mediocre or fair condition. The remaining 21 percent are rated in good condition.
Roads rated in poor condition may show signs of deterioration, including rutting, cracks and potholes. In some cases, poor roads can be resurfaced, but often are too deteriorated and must be reconstructed. Driving on rough roads costs Connecticut motorists a total of $1.6 billion annually in extra vehicle operating costs. Costs include accelerated vehicle depreciation, additional repair costs, and increased fuel consumption and tire wear.
