How Bad are the Roads in the US - just a comment
03-08-2008, 11:34 PM
#31
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Here is San Francisco Bay Area, many roads are getting poor and lacked of maintenance too. Even when they repair the roads they just patch it, and sometimes make it worse (left & right tires on different patches in the same lane). In the cities, they sometimes just putting some steel plates on the roads to cover the bad sections instead of repairing it.
I found that instead of enjoying my car on the road, I was busy dodging the potholes instead.
With best regards,
I found that instead of enjoying my car on the road, I was busy dodging the potholes instead.
With best regards,
I think in the South Bay it's better but road quality varies a lot. Some highways like 85 and 280 are generally pretty good. Highways 880 and 101 are horrible! Dump trucks and 18 wheelers don't ride on 85 and 280 though so that may be part of the reason.
03-09-2008, 08:17 AM
#32
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Heyas Ax long time no hear,
I think in the South Bay it's better but road quality varies a lot. Some highways like 85 and 280 are generally pretty good. Highways 880 and 101 are horrible! Dump trucks and 18 wheelers don't ride on 85 and 280 though so that may be part of the reason.
I think in the South Bay it's better but road quality varies a lot. Some highways like 85 and 280 are generally pretty good. Highways 880 and 101 are horrible! Dump trucks and 18 wheelers don't ride on 85 and 280 though so that may be part of the reason.
The San Francisco city is pretty bad though... I just went to dinner in the San Francisco SoMa area tonight... Ironically, one block with multi-millions dollars brand new condos, yet just a few blocks away is a war zone full of homeless folks. The city roads are so poor that I felt like driving offroad in my 997S...
Interesting world we have here...
With best regards,
07-05-2012, 01:30 PM
#34
Race Director
Just got back from a trek to NJ for the day before the deluge of rain started here in the Northeast and I have to comment that the roads in NY and most of NJ were just pitiful. Question for the rest of the country, are the roads filled with potholes and poor attempts at filling the potholes? The roads seem worse than usuall and I've been driving for over 25 years and haven't noticed them to be this bad in years past. Where are our tax dollars going? 
Over the years I have covered a lot of miles and have encountered very good roads and very bad roads.
While on the road I like to read the local newspapers and buy them and read them (at night in the hotel) from front to back.
More than once I have come across a report on the quality of roads in the region I'm in -- usually the region is the state -- and invariably this region has, the report finds, has the country's worst roads.
A outstanding example was a few years ago a KC MO newspaper set up a car with strain gages and sent a driver on a 3K mile drive. I do not recall the route now but western and eastern states were covered along with of course MO and KS roads, freeways.
It just so happened the *worst* road found was the section of I-70 between KC and St Louis. While this section is bad, it is not the only bad freeway or state highway in MO., but it was the section of road that a push was on to approve funding to widen/improve.
CA has in recent years has come up with some studies that you guessed it found the worst roads are here in CA. There some bad roads and the miles increase every year.
But other states can lay claim to bad roads as well and do so with "studies" that prove state XYZ has the worst roads.
Over the years states have diverted money from road repair/improvement to other programs and roads have been horribly neglected.
The results are of course more bad roads and a push tor raise taxes to pay for the roads which taxes have already been paid specifically for that purpose.
Sincerely,
Macster.
07-05-2012, 01:43 PM
#35
Drifting
A few years ago during a visit to FL I was really impressed with the quietness and comfortable riding of the relatively new Toyota Sienna I had rented. Got back home and came to the realization that tire chains and studded tires that destroy our roadbeds here in the NW are NEVER used in FL.
!
07-05-2012, 01:54 PM
#38
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In NC we one of the highest gas tax rates in the US but our roads are great for the most part. When I lived in Texas it was hit or miss. Austin roads were garbage, Houston's were not as bad.
07-05-2012, 02:07 PM
#39
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The problem is that the money that was supposed to go to things including road repairs is being used to pay pensions and bond payments. its illegal but the states and municipalities have the blessing of the Feds. There was a big report on this a few months ago.
Think of it as a transfer of wealth. . isnt that a good thing today
Roads will be worse in regions where more of the money is transferred to cover other things. But generally the infrastructure in this nation is terrible.
Think of it as a transfer of wealth. . isnt that a good thing today
Roads will be worse in regions where more of the money is transferred to cover other things. But generally the infrastructure in this nation is terrible.
07-05-2012, 02:57 PM
#41
Drifting
I've heard engineers talk about how the technology exists to create roads that last significantly longer than what we have, but lower-grade asphalt is used instead, in order to secure jobs for the maintenance crews.
07-05-2012, 03:00 PM
#42
We drove from Chicago to LA a couple of winters ago. The interstates weren't too bad, but every single city had appalling roads. Just terrible. To the posters complaining about the poor quality of UK roads ... that's just nonsense. I travel to the UK every year, and the roads are excellent compared to the US. They're crowded, with narrow lanes and they're full of speed cameras which make driving miserable, but that's a different issue.
The problem is apathy. It's become an accepted truth that our roads must have potholes and cracked pavement. The notion that an engineer could design and build a road to withstand an extreme but predictable climate just doesn't register. Until we stop accepting the poor quality of product that's given to us, things aren't going to get any better. We also need to accept that high quality products come at a price, and we need to pay for them.
The problem is apathy. It's become an accepted truth that our roads must have potholes and cracked pavement. The notion that an engineer could design and build a road to withstand an extreme but predictable climate just doesn't register. Until we stop accepting the poor quality of product that's given to us, things aren't going to get any better. We also need to accept that high quality products come at a price, and we need to pay for them.
07-05-2012, 04:56 PM
#44
Former Vendor
Remember that big fancy thing a while back called the relief Bill? TARP? Whatever....
Only 3% of it was designated for infrastructure. I live in northern Indiana, and I'll tell you this: I'm darn luck I drive a full size truck. You pretty much CAN'T drive on 19" wheels in this town it's so bad.
Only 3% of it was designated for infrastructure. I live in northern Indiana, and I'll tell you this: I'm darn luck I drive a full size truck. You pretty much CAN'T drive on 19" wheels in this town it's so bad.
07-05-2012, 04:57 PM
#45
Drifting
There are two issues at play: one is the US governmental approach to road building related to the size of the country, and the other is the current economic conditions.
US Approach - the US has way more miles of paved roads than Europe due to its size and population density. That naturally generates a different tendency in paying for highway construction and maintenance. Combine that with the US political cycle and representatives constantly trying to be re-elected, means it is very hard politically to sell to the short-sighted public at large, the benefit of spending 5x as much to build the same miles of highway even though it will last 8x as long and require 75% of the maintenance (numbers made up but you get the point). The roads in Europe have a much deeper base, much thicker pavement and thus are much more stable. Also the maintenance work is much more proactive. The governments there spend much more tax money on the roads, and they collect more tax money for roads via registration and licensing fees, fuel taxes, etc.
Economic Conditions - in the current economic state of reduced tax revenue, governments at all levels have to make due with less. But government spending in the country is like a gas.. it expands to fill the container, or available revenue, because for a long time the year to year revenue was good or increasing. Then government does stupid things like dedicating a lot of the tax revenue to programs that are not core government functions (but worthwhile for a society).. however when there is a shortfall of funds, they don't cut those programs. Government tries to keep people employed (voters) and reduce spending on other things more removed from voters such as infrastructure spending.
US Approach - the US has way more miles of paved roads than Europe due to its size and population density. That naturally generates a different tendency in paying for highway construction and maintenance. Combine that with the US political cycle and representatives constantly trying to be re-elected, means it is very hard politically to sell to the short-sighted public at large, the benefit of spending 5x as much to build the same miles of highway even though it will last 8x as long and require 75% of the maintenance (numbers made up but you get the point). The roads in Europe have a much deeper base, much thicker pavement and thus are much more stable. Also the maintenance work is much more proactive. The governments there spend much more tax money on the roads, and they collect more tax money for roads via registration and licensing fees, fuel taxes, etc.
Economic Conditions - in the current economic state of reduced tax revenue, governments at all levels have to make due with less. But government spending in the country is like a gas.. it expands to fill the container, or available revenue, because for a long time the year to year revenue was good or increasing. Then government does stupid things like dedicating a lot of the tax revenue to programs that are not core government functions (but worthwhile for a society).. however when there is a shortfall of funds, they don't cut those programs. Government tries to keep people employed (voters) and reduce spending on other things more removed from voters such as infrastructure spending.