Neglected roads and bridges are costing California drivers billions each year.

According to a new study, driving on bad roads in California costs the state’s drivers $61 billion each year.

Founded in 1971, TRIP  is a nonprofit organization that researches, evaluates and distributes economic and technical data on surface transportation issues. TRIP has conducted a study that has calculated the cost to the average motorist in the state’s largest urban areas in the form of additional vehicle operating costs (VOC) as a result of driving on rough roads. The study also takes into account the cost of lost time and wasted fuel due to congestion, as well as the financial cost of traffic accidents.

The report examines the overall condition, use and safety of California’s roads, highways and bridges, and the state’s future mobility needs.

And when it comes to bridges, more than 1,500 of California’s bridges (20 feet or longer) are structurally deficient. That means there is “significant deterioration of the bridge deck, supports or other major components.”

More than half – 56 percent – of California’s bridges are at least 50 years old – the eighth highest rate in the nation, the TRIP report says.

The study finds that regarding public safety, 15,730 people were killed in California traffic accidents from 2012 to 2016, which averages out to 3,146 fatalities per year.

Traffic accidents in which roadway features were likely a contributing factor accounted for $9.8 billion in economic costs in 2016, the researchers found.

Each year, $2.8 trillion in goods are shipped to and from sites in California, mostly by truck, according to the study. Increases in passenger and freight movement will place further burdens on the state’s already deteriorated and congested network of roads and bridges, the report says.

The design, construction and maintenance of transportation infrastructure supports 419,790 full-time jobs in the California, and accounts for $17.8 billion in salaries annually. About 7.1 million full-time jobs in California in key industries like tourism, retail sales, agriculture and manufacturing are completely dependent on the state’s transportation network, the report says.

The average state driver pays an extra $843 annually in additional vehicle operating costs as a result of driving on rough roads – a total of $22.1 billion statewide.

Upgrading and maintaining our critical system of roads and bridges is critical to the continued growth and prosperity of our State.  Converse Consultants is proud to provide geotechnical engineering and environmental consulting services in support of efforts to improve current conditions on our roadways . Our geotechnical laboratories are certified by DSA, AASHTO, Caltrans, CCRL, and other relevant state and local agencies.  

For more information on our services, visit our website:  http://converseconsultants.com.