Deteriorated and congested roads cost Baton Rouge urban drivers $2,291 each year because of higher vehicle operating costs, traffic crashes and congestion-related delays, according to a study released by a national transportation research nonprofit.
The cost shouldered by Baton Rouge motorists is the highest of the Louisiana metros studied for TRIP’s “Louisiana Transportation by the Numbers: Meeting the State’s Need for Safe, Smooth and Efficient Mobility.” New Orleans motorists carry the second-highest burden, at $2,159. Lafayette and Shreveport motorists pay an average of $2,133 and $1,816, respectively.
Nearly half of major locally- and state-maintained roads are in poor or mediocre condition, says the study, and 13% of locally- and state-maintained bridges are rated “poor/structurally deficient.” Additionally, the state’s roads have the fifth-highest fatality rate in the nation.
Statewide, roads and bridges that are deteriorated, congested or lack some desirable safety features collectively cost Louisiana motorists $6.9 billion annually.
Randy Cangelosi, chairman of the Baton Rouge Area Chamber’s board, along with Tommy Faucheux, southeast U.S. state government affairs leader with Dow Chemical, and Carolyn Bonifas Kelly, associate director of research & communication with TRIP, are holding a press conference this morning at BRAC to discuss the results. Read the full study.
