Bumpy roads ahead : cities with the roughest rides and strategies to make our roads smoother.

This paper investigates the condition of major roads in the most heavily populated metropolitan areas of the United States. It also examines recent urban travel trends and pavement maintenance and repair developments. It finds that many roads are in poor condition due to an increase in large vehicle traffic. Some developments in pavement construction and maintenance are quite successful in extending the life of our roads. These techniques should be more completely funded to ensure adequate pavement performance and consumer satisfaction with the quality of our roads.