New York’s Road Crisis: How Bad Conditions Are Costing Billions

The winter weather is officially here. Did you know that bad road conditions in New York cost us $28 billion every year?

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According to a report by by TRIP, a transportation research nonprofit called "New York Transportation by the Numbers: Meeting the State's Need for Safe, Smooth and Efficient Mobility," showed some facts that have me a little worried.

Would it surprise you to know that half of the major roads in New York are in pretty bad shape? Me neither but wait there's more. 10% of the bridges that are longer than 20 feet are labeled as poor or structurally deficient. Yikes!

On top of that, over 5,000 people lost their lives on New York's roads between 2015 and 2019. To make matters worse, major urban roads are so clogged with traffic that your trip can be a never-ending nightmare. These delays aren’t only frustrating but they eat up a lot of our time and gas.

The TRIP report also breaks down the situation in specific areas like Albany-Schenectady-Troy, Buffalo-Niagara Falls, and Binghamton. If you're a driver in Binghamton, be ready to shell out $1,180 each year to car operating costs, lost time, and wasted fuel while driving in traffic.

There is some good news because the report says that more investments in transportation improvements at every level can help solve our traffic issues. If it's done right (remember this is the government), we could see improved road conditions and better bridge safety.

The next time you're stuck in traffic, cursing the sorry state of our roads, remember that it doesn't have to be this way. It's time to pave the way for safer and smoother traveling in the Empire State.