HOUSTON – Houstonians have called it the biggest issue plaguing our city today: traffic. A new study is out reaffirming how bad road problems are in our area.
Houston is growing and our roads seem to be crumbling.
"It's amazing how much is happening so quickly at this time. Unfortunately we are falling behind on our transportation infrastructure," said Perri D'Armond, President/CEO of West Houston Association. "It's getting older, it's crumbling, it needs rehab, and it needs maintenance."
TRIP, a nonprofit transportation research group in Washington, just released a report on Texas roads and bridges. On top of what you already pay for taxes, the study found our roadways cost Houstonians an additional $1,850 a year.
"Those are the costs of driving on rough roads, time lost due to traffic congestion, and the cost of traffic crashes," said Rocky Moretti, with TRIP.
Here's the breakdown: $450 for wear and tear on your car from driving on rough roads; traffic delays run $1,090 for time wasted and fuel costs, and the price of traffic crashes averages out to around $310 a driver.
"When you drive on rough roads, it costs you additional money to operate your vehicle because your car is taking a pounding on those rough roads," said Moretti.
If you drive around potholes, you're probably not surprised to hear that the study found that approximately half of Houston roads are in poor or mediocre condition.
Officials point out there are more and more people living in Houston and more cars, but funding has remained flat.
"The report notes that the average Houston driver wastes an additional 52 hours annually stuck in traffic," Moretti said.
Transportation officials fear bad roads could hamper the current economic growth we're seeing in Texas and in Houston.
According to the research, Houston drivers paid the highest additional amount compared to other drivers in our state.