TRIP Reports: California Cities Among Those With Most Deteriorated Roads In U.S., Costing Drivers As Much As $1,000 Annualy

California Cities Among Those With Most Deteriorated Roads In U.S., Costing Drivers As Much As $1,000 Annualy. Road Conditions Expected To Decline Further Without Additional Funding At Local, State & Federal Levels.

California is home to four of the top 25 large urban areas (500,000+ population) and seven of the top 25 mid-sized urban areas (200,000-500,000 population) with the highest share of roads in poor condition, according to a new report released today. Motorists in some California urban areas face some of the highest vehicle operating costs (VOC) in the nation near $1,000 in some cities – as a result of driving on rough roads. Driving on roads in disrepair increases consumer costs by accelerating vehicle deterioration and depreciation, and increasing needed maintenance, fuel consumption and tire wear.

These findings were released today by TRIP, a national transportation research group based in Washington, D.C. The report, “Bumpy Roads Ahead: America’s Roughest Rides and Strategies to make our Roads Smoother,” examines urban pavement conditions, transportation funding, travel trends and economic development. Pavement condition and vehicle operating costs for urban areas with populations of 200,000 or greater can be found in the report and appendices. The charts below detail large and mid-sized urban areas with the highest share of pavements on major locally and state-maintained roads and highways in poor condition and the highest vehicle operating costs.