One in Four Assessed New York Road Miles Are in Poor Condition

New York ranked seventh among states with the worst road quality. The report found that 25 percent of assessed road miles in New York were in poor condition. They included 27,200 miles of assessed roads in New York. That was one of the largest networks among the states in the top 10. Only Pennsylvania had slightly more miles.

What Does Poor Condition Mean?

The researchers used a federal road measurement called the International Roughness Index, or IRI. Roads with a score of 170 or higher were counted as being in poor condition. The measurement looks at how rough a road feels to drive on. It does not count every pothole.

New York Placed Seventh

Rhode Island ranked first in the study, with 45 percent of its assessed roads in poor condition. Hawaii was second at 39 percent, followed by Washington at 30 percent. New York ranked behind Massachusetts, Maryland, and Connecticut, but ahead of California and Pennsylvania.

New Yorkers Search for Help

They estimated that New Yorkers make about 1,900 Google searches each month for the word "pothole." It also looked at online comments about road conditions. The report described the New York online comments as extremely negative.

The Ranking Has Limits

The report combined pavement data, online searches, and social media comments. That means the final score is not a direct count of potholes or a measure of every road in a state.
It is a comparison of assessed road roughness and public perception. As fall turns to winter, rain, freezing temperatures, snow, and plowing can make damaged pavement worse.