New York’s roads and bridges are in rough shape and it’s costing millions in taxes and tolls and more directly in damages and wear and tear to your own personal vehicle.
The TRIP report, titled “New York Transportation by the Numbers: Providing a Modern, Sustainable Transportation in the Empire State,” estimates the cost of poor road and bridge conditions to the average vehicle owner in the New York metro area, including Long Island, is over $3,400.
TRIP examined the condition, use, efficiency, and safety of the state’s surface transportation. Overall, the study found continued deterioration in the state’s infrastructure, which has led to rising costs for drivers.
“The TRIP report shows that an unacceptable number of New York’s roads and bridges are in poor or mediocre condition. And, New York is tenth worst in bridge conditions,” says Assemblyman Joe DeStefano. “New York needs to get its spending priorities in sync with the needs of the taxpayer and safe, functioning roads and bridges are near the top of that list.”
Statewide, 25 percent of New York’s major locally and state-maintained roads are in poor condition and 20 percent are in mediocre condition.
Thirty-eight percent of New York’s major locally and state-maintained urban roads and highways have pavements rated in poor condition and 24 percent are in mediocre condition.
“The TRIP report highlights the urgent need for sustained and predictable funding to address New York’s transportation challenges,” said Joseph Alston, director of government affairs for The Business Council of New York State, Inc. “The deteriorating condition of our roads and bridges poses a significant threat to business operations, increasing costs and reducing economic competitiveness.”
Rural communities fare much better. Just six percent of New York’s major locally and state-maintained rural roads and highways have pavements rated in poor condition and 16 percent are in mediocre condition.
New York is tenth on the list of states with bridges rated in structurally poor/deficient condition at 9% (1,664 of 17,642). This includes all bridges that are 20 feet or more in length. A bridge is considered poor/structurally deficient if there is significant deterioration of the bridge deck, supports or other major components.
New York’s infrastructure is old. Most bridges are designed to last 50 years before major overhaul or replacement. In New York, 49 percent of the state’s bridges were built in 1969 or earlier, the 11th highest share in the nation.
A report released in 2024 by the office of the New York State Comptroller estimated that the cost for needed work on bridges owned by counties and local governments in the state - which make up just over half of the state’s bridges – was approximately $29 billion. In a state already overtaxed, the taxpayer cannot afford much more. It is time for the state to prioritize spending in the budget and cut unnecessary programs and initiatives.
Besides the cost and annoyance, car crashes are another factor likely affected in part by poor road conditions. The state as a whole saw a 19% increase in traffic fatalities from 2019 through 2023.