The TRIP report, “New York Transportation by the Numbers: Providing a Modern, Sustainable Transportation System in the Empire State,” found that throughout New York, nearly half of major locally and state-maintained roads are in poor or mediocre condition, nine percent of locally and state-maintained bridges (20 feet or more in length) are rated poor/structurally deficient, traffic congestion is choking commuting and commerce, and the state’s traffic fatality rate has increased significantly since 2019.

Driving on roads in the New York-Newark-Jersey City urban area costs the average driver $3,492 per year in the form of extra vehicle operating costs (VOC) as a result of driving on roads in need of repair, lost time and fuel due to congestion-related delays, and the costs of traffic crashes in which the lack of adequate roadway safety features, while not the primary factor, likely were a contributing factor. Congestion alone costs the average New York metro motorist $2,535 each year. For the Poughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middletown market area, driving on subpar roads cost motorists $1,825 a year.

“New York’s transportation dollars are already being stretched thin by increased inflation in construction costs, and declining capital investments in the state and local transportation networks will make it harder to complete needed improvements,” said Dave Kearby, TRIP’s executive director. “It will be critical that the state adequately invest in its transportation network in order to provide a system that is smooth, safe and efficient.”

The TRIP report found that 46% of major locally and state-maintained roads in the New York-Newark-Jersey City urban area are in poor or mediocre condition, costing the average motorist an additional $694 each year in extra vehicle operating costs, including accelerated vehicle depreciation, additional repair costs, and increased fuel consumption and tire wear. Statewide, 45% of New York’s major roads are in poor or mediocre condition.