A new report reveals just how bad local road conditions are.

A report by TRIP, a national transportation research nonprofit, reveals how bad New York and the Hudson Valley's road conditions are. In New York State, roughly half of the major roads are in poor or mediocre condition. 10% of locally and state-maintained bridges are rated as poor or structurally deficient. Over 5,000 people lost their lives on New York State roads from 2014-2018.

The report is eye-opening and shows just how bad our roads are. Besides being bad, they're costing drivers money each year. The TRIP report reveals that Poughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middletown drivers pay $1,580 annually because of the road conditions. These conditions are based on safety, congestion, and vehicle operating costs. In New York State, $26 billion is paid annually from all drivers due to road conditions.

According to the TRIP report, traffic in the Poughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middletown area causes 37 hours of delays annually. The traffic alone costs local drivers $608 each year. Nearly 19 gallons of fuel are wasted per driver annually because of traffic congestion. 18% of our local and state-maintained major roads are in poor condition, while 23% are in mediocre condition. These roads cost area drivers $419 annually. In the Poughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middletown area, 82 people were killed each year in traffic crashes from 2014-2018.

Dave Kearby, TRIP’s executive director, said, “These conditions are only going to get worse, increasing the additional costs to motorists, if greater investment is not made available at the federal, state and local levels of government."

The TRIP report states that New York State's roadways are not only important to safety but the economy as well. $1.3 trillion in goods are shipped to and from New York State each year.

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