Report Reveals High Cost of Crumbling Roads and Bridges

Roads and bridges that are deteriorated, congested or lack some desirable safety features cost New York motorists a total of $28 billion statewide annually, according to the report release Wednesday by TRIP, a Washington, DC based national transportation research nonprofit.

For the Mid-Hudson region, the annual cost per driver is $1,839 which is due to higher vehicle operating costs, traffic crashes and congestion-related delays. The report said that increased investment in transportation improvements at the local, state and federal levels could relieve traffic congestion, improve road, bridge and transit conditions, boost safety, and support long-term economic growth in New York.

“As Westchester County looks to reemerge from the pandemic it is critically important that New York stays laser focused on increasing investments in transportation improvements at the local, state and federal levels which will help relieve traffic congestion, improve roads, bridge and transit conditions,” said John Ravitz, Executive Vice President and COO of the Business Council of Westchester.

The report noted that in the Mid-Hudson region 15 percent of bridges are rated poor/structurally deficient, with significant deterioration to the bridge deck, supports or other major components. Statewide, ten percent of New York’ bridges are rated poor/structurally deficient. In the Mid-Hudson region, on average, 52 people were killed in traffic crashes each year from 2015 to 2019.

“Based on this new report released by TRIP — and with the increased funding levels recently provided by the federal government — Albany now has the unprecedented opportunity to measurably improve the condition of its roads and bridges,” said John Cooney, Jr., executive director of the Construction Industry Council (CIC) of Westchester and Hudson Valley Inc. “The CIC is optimistic that through the leadership of Gov. Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature, this increase in allocation of federal money will serve to raise the performance levels of our roads and bridges over the coming five years,” Cooney added.