Roads and bridges that are deteriorated, congested or lack some desirable safety features cost Arkansas motorists a total of $3.2 billion annually — $1,169 per driver in the Pine Bluff urban area — because of higher vehicle operating costs, traffic crashes and congestion-related delays.
That was the conclusion of a report released Wednesday from TRIP, a Washington, D.C.-based national transportation research nonprofit.
Local speakers joined TRIP at a virtual news conference to highlight findings of the report, “Arkansas Transportation by the Numbers: Meeting the State’s Need for Safe, Smooth and Efficient Mobility.”
Although the news release doesn’t mention the Nov. 3 election, a proposal is on the Arkansas ballot regarding funding for roads. Issue 1 is a proposed amendment to the Arkansas Constitution: Continuing a One-Half Percent (0.5%) Sales and Use Tax for State Highways and Bridges; County Roads, Bridges and Other Surface Transportation; and City Streets, Bridges, and Other Surface Transportation, according to a list of proposed and referred ballot measures on the secretary of state’s website.
TRIP’s announcement Wednesday indicated that increased investment in transportation improvements at the local, state and federal levels could relieve traffic congestion, improve road, bridge and transit conditions, boost safety, and support long-term economic growth in Arkansas.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
The TRIP report said that throughout Arkansas, more than half of major locally and state-maintained roads are in poor or mediocre condition, 5% of locally and state-maintained bridges (20 feet or more in length) are rated poor/ structurally deficient, and 2,551 people lost their lives on the state’s roads from 2014-2018. Arkansas’ major urban roads are becoming increasingly congested, causing significant delays and choking commutes and commerce.
The document includes regional pavement and bridge conditions, congestion data, highway safety data, and cost breakdowns for the Fayetteville-Spring-dale-Rogers, Fort Smith, Hot Springs, Jonesboro, Little Rock-North Little Rock- Conway, Pine Bluff and West Memphis urban areas and statewide.
“Driving on roads in the Pine Bluff urban area costs the average driver $1,169 per year in the form of extra vehicle operating costs (VOC) as a result of driving on roads in need of repair, lost time and fuel due to congestion-related delays, and the costs of traffic crashes in which roadway features likely were a contributing factor,” according to the release.
In Pine Bluff, the TRIP report finds that 14 percent of major locally and state-maintained roads are in poor condition and another 37% are in mediocre condition, costing the average motorist an additional $517 each year in extra vehicle operating costs, including accelerated vehicle depreciation, additional repair costs, and increased fuel consumption and tire wear. Statewide, 26 percent of Arkansas’ major roads are in poor condition and 26% are in mediocre condition, according to the release.
“The findings of the TRIP report reaffirm the fact that the economic growth of our region and the quality of life of our residents is directly linked to the condition, safety and efficiency of our transportation system,” said Randy Zook, president and chief executive officer of the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce and the Associated Industries of Arkansas. “Adequate investment in improving our roads and bridges puts Arkansans to work today and creates a lasting asset for future generations.”
According to the report, in the Pine Bluff urban area, on average, 12 people were killed in traffic crashes each year from 2016 to 2018. The financial impact of traffic crashes, in which the lack of adequate roadway safety features were likely a contributing factor, was an average of $422 annually per each Pine Bluff area driver.
Traffic crashes in Arkansas claimed the lives 2,551 people between 2014 and 2018. Arkansas’ overall traffic fatality rate of 1.41 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles of travel in 2018 is the 12th highest in the nation and significantly higher than the national average of 1.13.
In the Pine Bluff urban area, 4% of bridges are rated poor/structurally deficient, with significant deterioration to the bridge deck, supports or other major components. Statewide, 5% of Arkansas’ bridges are rated poor/structurally deficient.
Traffic congestion in the Pine Bluff urban area is worsening, causing 11 annual hours of delay for the average motorist and costing the average Pine Bluff driver $230 annually in lost time and wasted fuel. Statewide, drivers lose $780 million annually as a result of lost time and wasted fuel due to traffic congestion, according to the release.
“The efficiency and condition of Arkansas’ transportation system, particularly its highways, is critical to the health of the state’s economy. Annually, $226 billion in goods are shipped to and from Arkansas, relying heavily on the state’s network of roads and bridges. Increasingly, companies are looking at the quality of a region’s transportation system when deciding where to re-locate or expand. Regions with congested or poorly maintained roads may see businesses relocate to areas with a smoother, more efficient and more modern transportation system. The design, construction and maintenance of transportation infrastructure in Arkansas supports approximately 35,000 full-time jobs across all sectors of the state economy. Approximately 594,000 full-time jobs in Arkansas in key industries like tourism, retail sales, agriculture and manufacturing are dependent on the quality, safety and reliability of the state’s transportation infrastructure network,” according to the release.
Dave Kearby is TRIP’s executive director.
“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,” Kearby said. “Without adequate funding, Arkansas’ transportation system will become increasingly deteriorated and congested, hampering economic growth, safety and quality of life.”
The full report is available at https://tripnet.org/reports/arkansas-transportation-by-the-numbers-september-2020/.