New York’s decaying and congested infrastructure is costing drivers billions in vehicle repairs, crashes and wasted fuel burned sitting in traffic, with motorists in the five boroughs paying the most.
National transportation research group, Trip, found that the state’s decrepit bridges and highways have drivers forking over more than $20 billion annually — a cost of about $2,300 per driver in some areas.
The study concluded that 45 percent of the states major roadways are sub par and riddled with potholes and other problems that make for a rough ride. The group also found New York’s bridges to be in a sad state of affairs, with nearly a quarter of all bridges in desperate need of being repaired or replaced completely.
Drivers in urban areas fared the worst, according to Trip, with New York City motorists paying more than in any other part of the state — around $2,282 per driver — between repairs, accidents and horrendous traffic.
Comparatively, driver in, for instance, Rochester, pay on average $1,285 annually per motorist.
The report also found that the state’s rural roads to be especially deadly, with the fatality rate on such roads being 2.5 times higher than New York’s major roadways, with 1.79 fatalities per 100 miles of vehicle miles of travel.
“Funding for the highway system that helps make America a mobile and prosperous nation is about to run dry” John A. Corlett, AAA New York State’s Legislative Committee Chairman, said in a statement.
“Later in 2014, the federal Highway Trust Fund will be officially insolvent, a fact which will hasten the well underway deterioration of our state’s roads and bridges.”