New York State has the third worst performing highway system in the nation, according to the latest annual transportation study by the Reason Foundation.
Despite spending $552,806 per mile – the fourth highest amount nationwide – the Empire State is plagued by poor road and bridge conditions and urban congestion, according to the study. New York’s rural interstates and primary roads are in particularly bad shape, ranking second and fourth worst in the country, respectively.
Interstates in New York’s urban areas also ranked fourth worst in the nation. Thirty-seven percent of the state’s bridges, meanwhile, were determined to be deficient, according to the study.
The Reason Foundation measured the performance of state-owned roads and highways from 1984 to 2005 in 12 different categories, including traffic fatalities, congestion, pavement condition, bridge condition, highway maintenance and administrative costs, to determine each state’s ranking and cost-effectiveness.
Overall, only Alaska (49th) and New Jersey (50th) rated lower than New York. If there was a bright side for the Empire State in the study, it was that its fatality rate was among the country’s lowest (6th best nationwide), with one death per every 100 million miles.
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