In some instances, I can understand when Boston’s roads are a little less than ideal for driving. Wednesday, September 17, was the city’s 384th birthday after all. And while Lady Bostonia is looking pretty fine in her old age, not every aspect is in tip-top shape. When we look at Massachusetts as a whole, however, things are significantly worse. Like, horrendous.
According to the 21st Annual Highway Report by Reason Foundation, Massachusetts highways and bridges are among the worst maintained yet most heavily funded in the country. In fact, the Commonwealth ranks 46th overall in terms of highway performance.
The Bay State’s one saving grace, per the data compiled by Reason, is that we rank first overall in terms of fatality rates, meaning, to all the naysayers out there who insist on referring to us as Massholes, we’re the safest behind the wheel.
“Many of the easiest repairs and fixes to state highway and bridge systems have already been made and the rate of progress is slowing down,” said David T. Hartgen, lead author of the Annual Highway Report since 1984. “A widening gap also seems to be emerging between states that are still making improvements and a few states that are really falling behind on highway maintenance and repairs.”
Sadly, though, Massachusetts has fallen in rank over the past three years from 43rd to 45th and now to 46th. Overall, spending on state-run highways has increased by 6 percent from 2011 to 2012, but somehow Massachusetts continues to sink despite spending more $675,312 per state-controlled mile. In 2010 we also spent $290,584 in bridge disbursements per state-controlled mile, also on the higher end in respect to other states’ spending.
“The pavement condition of rural arterial roads worsened from 2011 to 2012, with New Jersey, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Hawaii and Alaska having the bumpiest conditions,” noted Reason further.
In general, the Midwestern states are better at keeping their highways in drivable conditions with the least amount of spending, meaning those states implement more efficient maintenance plans the Northeast and West Coast.
Massachusetts also ranks 39th in rural interstate pavement condition, 34th in urban Interstate pavement condition and 28th in urban interstate congestion.
