Report: Texas neglects road maintenance

Costs average driver $336/year

Steve Hawley, May 07, 10.

Texas policies that favor new road construction over maintenance cost the average driver $336 per year in maintenance costs, according to a new report from the Texas Public Interest Research Group (TexPIRG). Drivers in San Antonio have the worst roads, costing the average driver $529 per year.

According to the data, less than half of the state’s roads are in good condition, and 7 percent are listed as mediocre or poor. Texas ranks 24th out of the 50 states in that category.

Additionally, 1,752 bridges in the state are structurally deficient, although this is just three percent of the total. Overall, Texas spends almost $720 million on new roads every year, three times more than it spends on bridge maintenance.

TexPIRG report: executive summary
TexPIRG report: Road Work Ahead (pdf, 1.8 mb)