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Caltrans Dept. of Transportation American Road and Transportation Builders Association Keep America Moving home page The Road Information Program State Transportation Commission |
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| Every day, California motorists inch through some of the most congested highways in America, incurring a huge cost factored in lost time, energy and money. We now rank 49th among states in per capita highway spending, ahead of only South Carolina and 43 percent below the national average. The state's road repair backlog is virtually miles long at a time when our roads and highways are showing their age and presenting a safety hazard to motorists. Consider that 75 percent of the state's highways were built before 1974 and were expected to last only 20 years. The average age of those highways is now 30. No wonder half of California's major roads are in poor or mediocre condition and resultingly are becoming more expensive to maintain and operate. In addition, nearly a third of California's bridges are structurally deficient or functionally obsolete. Of those, more than 450 are posted to carry a lower weight and 52 are closed. The cost of neglecting these facilities is staggering. Driving on roads in need of repair costs California's motorists $2.9 billion a year in extra vehicle repairs and operating costs. That amounts to roughly $145 per motorist. Meanwhile, more and more cars are pounding the pavement. At current rates of travel and population growth, the number of vehicle miles of travel (VMT) in California is expected to increase by more than 40 percent in the next 10 years. This is in addition to the 29 percent increase of VMT that occurred between 1986 and 1996. More people driving more miles on the same roads means more gridlock. It's that simple. In May of 1999, the state Transportation Commission reported that California needs roughly $116 billion to complete the road and transit projects necessary to reduce congestion and cope with growth. In June of 1999, a Silicon Valley Manufacturing Group analysis identified a $13 billion shortfall over the next decade for maintenance, repair and expansion of the Bay Area's existing transportation infrastructure. The report also found that approximately 215 transportation projects were needed for the region to help maintain the existing system and expand it to gain greater mobility. We benefit from the mobility afforded by a top-quality roads and highways in innumerable ways. Mobility gives us more productivity and more opportunity. It allows us to find better jobs and still spend more time with our families. It helps lower-income Californians find better work and acquire better homes. It provides access to health care, education and recreational opportunities . It allows products once sold only in large cities to be available in small town stores. But without public support, prospects for major mobility improvements are poor. The result will be more congestion and more traffic-related injuries and fatalities, both of which are already showing dramatic increases in many areas. Updated Feb. 15, 2000 |
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