PA's Rural Roads Also In Bad Shape

For those of us living in Southeastern Pennsylvania, the declining quality of our transportation infrastructure is something we live with every day. Congested roadways, aging and ailing bridges, and a transit system that is powered by turn of the century (20th century, that is) technology are just things we live with, day-to-day. However, a new study by TRIP, a transportation research group, shows that rural America, and rural Pennsylvania, are not immune from the negative effects of our lack of infrastructure investment.

"Rural Connections: Challenges and Opportunities in America's Heartland", delivered some disconcerting news about the current state of rural roads and bridges in PA. The Commonwealth was tied for 12th place in terms of highest percentage, 17%, of major rural roads in poor condition. With 4,105 rural bridges, 28% of overall number of rural bridges in the Commonwealth, rated structurally deficient in 2010, Pennsylvania topped all other states in the nation. In terms of roadway safety, Pennsylvania had the sixth highest number of traffic fatalities on rural roads that were not interstates in 2009.

The focus on infratructure problems in rural areas takes on added significance in Pennsylvania, which has the third largest rural population in the U.S. at 2.8 million. Despite growing levels of traffic, the report notes that rural roads, highways, and bridges lack the capacity, cannot accomodate growing freight traffic, do not connect well enough to rural communities, and are unsafe in many ways.

TRIP's report also details the importance of the nation's rural roads and bridges to personal and commercial travel in light of shifting demographics and the steady decline of the nation's railway network. Currently, there are 50 million people classified as living in rural America. That number is expected to increase significantly over the next decade as the Baby Boomer generation retires. Economically, there is the need to move food by truck from farms to urban centers, and the reliance on rural roads for the 300 million yearly visitors to the U.S. national parks.

In a conference call accompanying the relase of the report, John Horsley, Executive Director of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), noted that rural America needs to get a fair share of highway and transit funding. "They cannot afford to see that proportion reduced", he added.

Stephen Sandherr, CEO of Associated General Contractors of America, said "So much of the nation's commerce and produce moves along our back roads and byways. If you want to maintain economic prosperity you have to make investments in transportation."