A report released last month by the Reason Foundation ranks Washington as the state with the 42nd best highway performance out of the 50 U.S. states. Just three years ago, the state ranked 24th among other states. Washington received poor marks because “mileage in poor condition (on urban and rural Interstates and rural arterials) increased considerably, despite increased spending (relative to the U.S. average).”
Some findings from the study:
- 6.73% of rural Interstate mileage in Washington state is in poor condition, ranking 47th in the nation. Only Alaska and Hawaii rank lower, with 9.91% and 12.91% of mileage in poor condition respectively. In Oregon, for comparison, only 1.25% of rural Interstate mileage is in poor condition.
- 7.79% of urban Interstate mileage in Washington state is in poor condition, ranking 42nd in the nation. Oregon fares better with 4.28% of urban Interstate mileage in poor condition.
- 25.62% of state-controlled bridges are in deficient condition, ranking 37th in the nation.
- Washington ranks well in highway safety, with a fatality rate of .78 per 100 million vehicle-miles, ranking 4th best in the nation.
As lawmakers debate a state transportation package, more attention should be paid to maintenance and expansion of the state’s roadways. The state transportation package passed by the House last year would have diverted $250 million in new gas tax money directly to transit operations despite the deteriorating conditions on rural and urban Interstates. The Senate chose not to bring the bill up for a vote.
In addition, artificial policies unnecessarily increase project costs, resulting in less money going to maintenance and preservation. For example, the state charges itself sales tax on transportation projects to increase costs and divert money into the general fund. By eliminating artificial cost drivers, state leaders could reduce the cost of building roads and free up limited tax dollars for maintenance and expansion of the road network.