California’s Highways: Why the Golden State Ranks Last in America’s Road Quality Report

California’s highways have been identified as some of the most deteriorated in the United States. A recent ranking highlights that the pavement conditions on the state’s busiest roads are among the worst nationally.

Though the Golden State manages to avoid the lowest positions in most categories, it lands at 50th place when it comes to “Urban Arterial Pavement conditions,” reflecting the state of heavily trafficked urban roads, and sits at 49th overall.

In an evaluation conducted by the Reason Foundation, the highway systems across the U.S. were assessed for their overall “cost-effectiveness and condition.” California was second only to Alaska at the bottom of the list, even though residents pay hefty amounts in gas taxes and other related fees.

On a brighter note, California’s bridge conditions offer some relief, with the state securing its best ranking of 25th nationwide in the category of “structurally deficient bridges.”

However, California finds itself in the lower half or third in various other metrics, including urban congestion, rural fatality rate, rural pavement conditions, and the ratio of capital and bridge disbursements.

In a critical op-ed for the Orange County Register, report author Baruch Feigenbaum expressed his disapproval of California’s inadequate road conditions.

“With gas prices rising, Californians are being reminded of the billions of dollars a year they pay in fuel taxes and vehicle fees to maintain the state’s roads and highways,” he wrote. “Yet, despite those high fuel taxes, California’s drivers continue to face some of the worst road conditions in the country.”

Californians pay for the most expensive gas in the country, mostly due to gas taxes. Feigenbaum says California “should have a better road and highway system” given the billions in funds the state generates for transportation.

California lagged behind large states like Florida, Texas, and New York which ranked 14th, 27th and 47th overall respectively.

Feigenbaum believes California should maintain its roads and highways despite being one of the largest and the most populous state.

“But those realities make it even more important to use transportation funding efficiently. Repairing potholes, resurfacing rough pavement and bringing bridges up to modern standards would deliver significant improvements for drivers and the economy, improving safety and the state’s overall ranking in the Annual Highway Report,” he wrote.

California also ranked 49th in last year’s highway report.

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