SAN DIEGO — A new report Thursday ranks California's rural roads as the second deadliest in the nation.
According to a new report published by TRIP, a national transportation research nonprofit, America’s rural transportation system is in need of repairs and modernization to support economic growth, which is a critical source of energy, food and fiber.
The report, Rural Connections: Challenges and Opportunities in America’s Heartland, evaluates the safety and condition of the nation’s rural roads and bridges and finds that the nation’s rural transportation system is in need of immediate improvements to address deficient roads and bridges, high crash rates, and inadequate connectivity and capacity.
The report finds that 32 percent of California’s rural roads are rated in poor condition – the second highest rate in the nation - and 24 percent are rated in mediocre condition. Nine percent of California’s rural bridges are rated as poor or structurally deficient, the 20th highest share in the U.S. The report also finds that bridges that are poor or structurally deficient have significant deterioration to the major components of the bridge and are often posted for lower weight or closed to traffic, restricting or redirecting large vehicles.
The rate of traffic fatalities on California’s non-Interstate, rural roads is the second highest in the nation and is more than four times higher than the fatality rate on all other roads in the state, the report finds.
“Rural roads play a critical role in supporting the transportation needs of millions of Americans every day,” said Kathleen Bower, AAA senior vice president of public affairs and international relations. “Damaged and deteriorating roadways too often result in deadly crashes, and it is time to act. Making critical safety improvements to rural roads will save thousands of lives each year and help move our economy forward.”