Report ranks condition of urban roads and some northeast spots finish poorly

In what is probably not a big surprise to many, our area ranks high in poor urban roads. Who ranks even worse, however, may surprise you.

According to AAA and the TRIPS Urban Road Report, four Northeast cities/metro areas rank within the top 20 U.S. urban areas with the highest share of major roads in poor condition: New York-Newark (8th 46%), Providence (includes Fall River, New Bedford) (9th 46%), Philadelphia (10th 43%) and Bridgeport-Stamford (15th 40%).

Honolulu (54%) Concord (56%), Antioch (57%), San Jose (64%), and San Francisco (71%) had the most poor urban roads in the country according to the report.

It is not a surprise that Florida had several locations with less than 10% poor urban roads including Bonita Springs (2%), Winter Haven (3%), Pensacola (4%), Sarasota‐Bradenton (4%), Jacksonville (4%), Port St. Lucie (6%), and Kissimmee (6%).

AAA stated that the TRIPS study is based on analysis provided by the Federal Highway Administration, based on data submitted annually by state departments of transportation.

According to TRIP, “Roads rated as poor may have cracked or broken pavements. These roads often show significant signs of pavement wear and deterioration. They may also have significant distress in their underlying foundation. Road or highway surfaces rated poor provide an unacceptable ride quality and are in need of resurfacing and some need to be reconstructed to correct problems in the underlying structure.”

In most cases, the combination of traffic, moisture, and climate cause road damage.