The Consequences Of Inaction 

Part 3 - Local roads:
Potholes and our pocketbooks

"What do you expect with the roads around here?"

If you've lived in Rhode Island long enough, you've probably heard those words or something like them from your mechanic as they emerge from the garage to give you the bad news.

Potholes are part of life and driving in New England and this year was no different. The never-ending freezing and thawing of snow and ice on roads is hard on the pavement, creating cracks, fissures and holes. Areas like intersections and railroad crossings where traffic constantly starts and stops are especially vulnerable to potholes. And not surprisingly, the areas of Rhode Island that receive the most snow --"No school Foster Glocester" -- are most at risk for potholes.

As the snow and ice recede, state and municipal crews race to fill the holes and fix the damage, but no one is ever happy with the pace of repair. Municipalities and the state (i.e., you and me) have programs to help drivers pay for damage to their cars, but we're often stuck paying hundreds of dollars or more out of pocket for the wear and tear on our cars and trucks.

Paying out of pocket
According to a September 2010 report by The Road Information Program (TRIP), drivers in Providence paid an average of $421 a year to repair damage caused by driving on roads and highways in poor condition, ranking us 29th in the nation among urban areas with a population of 500,000 or more. 

This annual rite of Spring will only get worse if our elected officials fail to take action in the next few weeks to reform our transportation funding system.

In the past couple of weeks we've described how the state's growing debt service takes money from needed transportation projects and explored the implications of limited and decreasing funding on the condition of the state's highways and bridges. Less money for transportation and maintenance of our roads could mean more potholes remaining unfilled for longer periods of time, meaning more money out of our pocketbooks and wallets to pay for the damage caused by those potholes.

The cost to Providence and the state
The Providence Journal reported that the City of Providence budgeted $45,000 for pothole repair this year. The article also says that at one City Council meeting, members received a report from the Department of Public works that reported $8,736.43 owed for more than two dozen claims against the city for damage to vehicles.

Rhode Island state law requires the State Department of Transportation (RIDOT) to pay damages up to $300 to motorists who sustain damage from potholes. RIDOT requires motorists to file claims with supporting documentation within seven days of striking the pothole. Only cars registered in Rhode Island can file claims with the state.  

The never ending need for pothole repair is a reminder of the deteriorating quality of Rhode Island's roads. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Highway Statistics 2009, Rhode Island has 6,403 miles of roads. And most (5,237 miles) are owned by local municipalities. The report includes information on the condition of 1,755 miles of our roads and most are not in good repair.  About 9 percent of the roads are defined as being in very good condition, 17 percent are good, 45 percent are considered in fair condition, 18 percent are in mediocre condition and 11 percent are poor.  

Elected officials need to act now
If our elected officials don't take action in the next few weeks, we can expect to see further deterioration of our roads and bridges. And next spring, we can expect to be driving around potholes everywhere we go and -- inevitably -- find ourselves once again face-to-face with our mechanics having a familiar conversation.   

CTC supports The Transportation Investment and Debt Reduction Act of 2011 (S-148 / H-5789) which is now pending in the General Assembly. This Act would begin to stabilize state transportation funding and reduce the amount of borrowing the state must do for transportation projects. As the state's debt is reduced, debt service payments will also decline, providing additional funds for needed transportation investments.

The Act would allocate funds directly to municipalities to fix potholes and improve walkways and create safer streets as part of its design to stabilize state transportation funding.

Please contact your state senator and representative to support this sustainable funding for roads, bridges, and transit. (You can click here to find out who represents you at the State House.)

If your representative is Jeremiah T. O'Grady, Arthur Handy, Teresa Ann Tanzi, Edith H. Ajello or Frank Ferri or your senator is Louis DiPalma, thank them generously for their leadership as sponsors of these bills.

Next week -- Buses and trolleys: Inaction means paying more for less