National report lauds Utah bridges, traffic fatality rate
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No Comments [ Add Comment ]By MITCH SHAW
Standard-Examiner Davis Bureau
Utah highways are 25th in overall performance and cost-effectiveness, according to a recent study of state highway systems across the nation.
The study released by The Reason Foundation, a nonprofit research agency based in Los Angeles, measured the condition of all state-owned roads and highways from 1984 to 2006.
"What we basically do is take information that each state submits to the federal government and then we use that information to rank the states on a few different categories," said Dr. David Hartgen, transportation professor emeritus at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
The study calculates the effectiveness and performance of each state in 12 categories, including pavement condition, bridge condition, traffic fatalities, congestion, highway maintenance costs and administrative costs.
The study has been released annually for the past 17 years.
Utah scored high marks in the bridge condition and traffic fatality categories.
Utah's bridge conditions ranked seventh-best in the country. Sixteen percent of Utah's bridges are deficient, meaning they are eligible for federal repair dollars.
Utah also had just 1.121 fatalities for every 100 million vehicle miles traveled, ranking the state 11th overall.
"... one area of growing concern is the congestion, especially in the Salt Lake region and nearby areas," said Hartgen, who co-authored the study.
The state ranks among the bottom half in traffic congestion -- 31st in both urban interstate congestion and rural interstate condition.
"The study reflects what people are seeing out there -- Utah is the fifth-fastest-growing state in the country, and Davis and Weber counties are sort of leading the pack," said Nile Easton, Utah Department of Transportation spokesman.
"Congestion certainly is a concern in Utah, but to address that, we have a number of projects scheduled, and even more importantly, projects that are wrapping up that will help with traffic congestion."
To help disperse traffic and alleviate congestion, the UDOT is spending more than $1.8 billion on new road projects this year alone.
Some of the biggest projects UDOT will be working on, in terms of traffic impact and cost, will be in Davis County.
The $685 million Legacy Parkway -- the south Davis segment of the larger Legacy Highway project -- and the $52.3 million Interstate 15 Davis Lane Gain project will ease freeway congestion throughout Davis County.
The 14-mile, four-lane Legacy Parkway is expected to open in September. UDOT officials say 30 percent of Interstate 15 traffic will move to the parkway.
The Lane Gain project will widen the freeway between State Street in Farmington and Exit 330, the south Layton interchange.
Hartgen said those projects, coupled with high use of FrontRunner commuter rail, will ease congestion.
"I just went through the area, and I know that they are widening Interstate 15 and that will help," Hartgen said.
"And you've also got the commuter rail, but people have to use that for it to work. You can't have the attitude of, 'Oh, everyone else will use it, but I can't because I have this errand or that errand and I don't have enough time.'
"People have to be willing to get on the thing."
To see the complete study, visit www.reason.org.
Road rankings
Here's how Utah's highways and state roads rate compare with other states:
* Urban interstate congestion: 31st. In a volume-to-capacity ratio, Utah's interstates are 46 percent congested.
* Bridge condition: 7th. Sixteen percent of Utah's bridges are deficient, meaning they are eligible for federal repair dollars.
* Safety: 11th. Utah had 1.121 fatalities for every 100 million vehicle miles traveled.
* Money for road maintenance: 23rd. Utah spends $17,630 per mile on state road maintenance.
* Administrative costs: 45th. Utah spends $22,123 per mile of state road for administrative purposes.
* Urban interstate condition: 20th. In Utah, 2.3 percent of urban interstates are considered to be in poor condition.
Source: The Reason Foundation
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