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Los Angeles Has The Second Worst Roads In The Country
"Bad Road - Wilshire Blvd." (Photo by nailmaker via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr)
In a real race to the bottom, Los Angeles was barely edged out by San Francisco in having the worst roads in the country. We know—we're just as surprised as you are.According to a study (.pdf) released by TRIP, a D.C.-based think tank, the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana region has the second-worst roads in the country among major metropolitan areas, with a whopping 73% of our roads in "poor" condition. While the potholes, cracked pavement, and buckling streets make for a pretty uncomfortable commute, they also hit us in our wallets. According to TRIP, these bad roads cost each driver $1,031 each year in additional costs in repairs and maintenance i.e. flat tires, worn shocks, etc.
"That money would be much better spent on the front end by fixing the transportation system instead of passing those costs along to drivers," said TRIP's associated director of research and communications, Carolyn Kelly. According to the San Gabriel Valley Times, the report, cheekily titled "Bumpy Roads Ahead," comes as Congress is set to vote on sending federal money to states for transit and highway purposes.
San Francisco/Oakland edge out L.A. with 74% of their roads rated "poor" and coming at the annual cost of $1,044 to drivers. Just like in baseball, San Francisco is better than L.A. once again.
Unsurprisingly, California is all over the list. San Jose, San Diego, Riverside/San Bernardino, and Sacramento all make appearances in the top 25 among metro areas with a population of a half-million or more. In 2013, TRIP declared our roads the worst in the country. The silver lining then? Only 64% of them were rated poor.
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You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
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