Report ranks Detroit 4th in nation for having deteriorating roads

The Trenton metro area’s roads – riddled with potholes, cracks and bumps – sometimes make for a rough ride, so it’s no surprise that a new report released Thursday ranks them among the worst in the nation.

Michigan roads are particularly bad.

Greater Cleveland ranks sixth among large urban areas with populations of 500,000 or more in the percentage of roads in poor condition and seventh in the annual cost to motorists of driving on rough roads. Flint topped the list with more than half of its roads providing a rough ride.

The federal government is a critical source of funding for road and highway repairs. Poor roads have cracked or broken pavement and often show significant distress in the underlying foundation. Fifty percent of Akron-area roads are in poor condition, costing drivers $797 each year, TRIP said.

TRIP says the data in the report is from the Federal Highway Administration, which annually gathers information on the condition of the nation’s major roads submitted by state departments of transportation.

Infrastructure, U.S. Chamber of Commerce and vice president of the Americans for Transportation Mobility (ATM) Coalition.

Michigan’s Transportation Asset Management Council, which rates road conditions across the state, found 38 percent of all federal-aid lane miles to be in poor condition past year. “America needs Congress to fully fund a multi-year surface transportation bill”. The would provide $50 billion beyond what is already collected from the 18.4 cent per gallon gas tax, the additional funding coming from spending cuts or changes in federal policy elsewhere. Lawmakers sent roads Proposal 1 to the statewide ballot, but voters resoundingly rejected the bloated sales tax measure in May. It is calling on Congress to authorize a long-term federally-funded transportation program which improves road conditions on US roads and highways.

The group says 51% of major roads in and around Grand Rapids are in poor condition.

Flint ranked first among urban areas with 250,000 to 500,000 residents.