Every year, New York City drivers lose about 44 hours of their time and $1,900 of their money to poorly maintained roads, according to a new study. The average motorist pays $638 to repair automotive damage caused by shoddy streets, while the rest of the money goes towards "wasted gas, medical fees and lost productivity," the reports indicates.
The "Future Mobility In New York" [PDF] study found that 54 percent of the city's busiest roads are in "poor condition" and 35 percent of the city's bridges are structurally deficient, according to the Daily News. The tabloid says Bronx drivers have it particularly bad, considering that the Major Deegan, the Cross Bronx and the Bruckner expressways, as well as the Bronx River Parkway, all scored poorly. "The roadwork and those construction metal plates in the street — like speed bumps — really tear up cars in this town," said an owner of a Morris Park auto repair shop. "I just had a Chrysler Pacifica minivan. We did almost four grand in work — suspension work, frame replaced," he said. "It's the potholes and everything else."
And road conditions aren't going to get better any time soon. The study contends that the state needs about $175 billion to maintain roads and bridges over the next 20 years, but so far only $87 billion has been earmarked for that purpose. "At that rate of investment, we will be investing in a state of deterioration," said one expert.
