States with the worst roads

Interesting. I was raised in Michigan and New York, vacationed often in Maine, live in FL now but go north every summer.

The Northern states, esp Michigan, have a tough row to how between the severe cold causing frost heaves, a short summer to repair and declining tax base. Even in the 50's and 60's when they had money they couldnt keep up.

I was a bit surprised at Ohio. We spent four months there last summer and did a lot of secondary and tertiary roads and didnt think they were that bad.

Maine was bad. Unfilled potholes.

There some bad roads in Louisiana but they are off the list.

I-77 through the Appalachians is bad.

Past experience to me has seemed to be that,,,,,
The worse a states taxes, the worse their roads.
Somehow the constant "Mo money" doesn't fix anything.

Here is the study results.

Only 37 states listed. Suprising that the state that gets the most complaints about road conditions on this forum is in the bottom 10 for "worst roads"...

We just drove east to west all the way thru Iowa last summer and I didn't think their roads were worse than average.
I agree that Florida has good roads and part of that is the fact that the state makes so much from tourism. And I'd guess tourists like good roads. Also the state controls road maintenance on state roads. And Florida spends almost all it's money they receive for road maintenance on just that. Not buses, subways, light rail or bike trails. Road tax money (aka gas tax) should go 100% to road repair and new roads. Not one dime to bike lanes or mass transit. Cities do waste money on bike lanes but the counties build a lot of bike trails on old RR right of ways but I think they use a special fund for that. I know locally there is great outrage and big crowds at city council meetings when they attempt to reduce the number of lanes on roads to put in a bike lane.

I can't believe Louisiana and California aren't at the bottom of the list. I suspect their survey methods are very poor.

I guess I should be impressed. Michigan made Nr. 1. I would have thought that the state would score worse than that. Like maybe a 0.5. We pay higher fuel taxes than many other states, but have heavier trucks and more extremes of temperature. That coupled with the quality of companies forced to use whatever people the hall sends them, and this is a pleasant surprise.

Matt

Weather is a big factor. Florida has fair weather so no frost/freezing and a year round repair season.

Bike lanes are important for safety reasons with more and more people taking to bikes. That’s going to grow even more as the e bikes catch on. Plus they are often done with repaving and repainting, rarely new construction.

The rails to trails is funded separately..

The northern states have bad weather and short repair periods coupled with heavy traffic. Their roads are older and have heavier truck traffic due to population density.

agesilaus wrote:
... Road tax money (aka gas tax) should go 100% to road repair and new roads....

That's just a convention. Gas tax is a sales tax. Few if any other sales tax goes toward a related expense. Liquor taxes don't go toward the promotion and distribution of liquor; cig taxes don't promote smoking, though they might in some cases go toward discouraging it.

I've been a life long user of public transit, and bicycle. And as I get older I expect to depend even more on public transit. I won't always be able to drive. And being able to ride a bike safely lets me stay active and healthy.

Big Katuna wrote:
Weather is a big factor. Florida has fair weather so no frost/freezing and a year round repair season.

Bike lanes are important for safety reasons with more and more people taking to bikes. That’s going to grow even more as the e bikes catch on. Plus they are often done with repaving and repainting, rarely new construction.

The rails to trails is funded separately..

The northern states have bad weather and short repair periods coupled with heavy traffic. Their roads are older and have heavier truck traffic due to population density.

I'll grant you the weather. No frost heave in the Sunshine State (which is a lie). But as for older roads, if they were well maintained and the surface was completely redone every 12-15 years (just a guess) then they would be just like new. Florida grinds up the road surface and totally re-applies the asphalt on the road base. And why do you think the roads are older in the first place? We had roads down here in the 1920's and 30's just like you did. I mean surfaced roads not dirt trails. The Lincoln Highway was built around 1915 and was one of the earliest highways.

As for Bike Lanes I just saw a study that refutes the idea that there are growing numbers of bike riders. The fad was big back 10 years ago but the number of riders has tapered off. Furthermore if bike riders want lanes let them pay a registration tax on bikes and use that money to build them.

I've been a life long user of public transit, and bicycle. And as I get older I expect to depend even more on public transit. I won't always be able to drive. And being able to ride a bike safely lets me stay active and healthy.
-----------------------------------------------------------------

Well sure look where you live, in a big coastal city with high population density. Out here in fly-over country we don't have and don't want subways or extensive bus system. So if Seattle (or in Florida-Miami) wants buses and bikes let them fund them out of other money. Just another case of the coastal population trying to impose their will on the other 90% of the population.

Where I live the buses are mainly used by University students and they pay for them out of their activity fees.

Surprized California isn’t in the top 10. Even new freeways are as rough as a Baja back road