From rural to suburban to urban, America's roads give us the freedom to pursue our chosen lifestyles and provide for the tremendous movement of goods and services on which our modern lives depend. But, the daily pounding that urban roadways endure from cars and trucks has taken a toll. From coast to coast, major streets and freeways in most U.S. communities are showing significant signs of distress. The result of this increasing stress, coupled with other factors, is that nearly one-third of urban streets and highways have rough pavements that provide a ride that many drivers find unacceptable. And one result of driving on these rough roads and highways is that the cost to own and maintain a vehicle increases because cars and trucks wear out more quickly, require more maintenance, and consume more fuel. This report looks at the level of smoothness on the nation’s major roads and the costs to motorists of driving on roads that have pavements in poor condition. Data on pavement conditions are from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), which annually gathers data on the condition of the nation's major roads. These data are submitted annually to the FHWA by state departments of transportation. Although the data are gathered by the states, the roads and highways for which condition data are provided in this report are mostly maintained by state or local governments. This report also looks at the current level of annual investment in maintaining pavements, the amount needed annually to keep roads in their current condition, and the amount needed annually to improve their condition. The report concludes with a series of recommendations for improving the condition of the nation's roads. (Author/publisher)
Abstract