Roads

Pennsylvania's 8.8 million drivers travel nearly 100 billion miles on these roads every year. Truck traffic on Pennsylvania's current 1,855 miles of interstate roads averages over 34 percent, more than double the national average. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) rated 44 percent of Pennsylvania's roads fair or poor in 2012. This is an increase of approximately 2 percent over the last year, a trend that has been consistent since 2009. If this trend continues, over half of Pennsylvania roadways will be rated fair or poor by 2015. Without construction of new roadways and lanes to increase capacity, Pennsylvanians will continue to sit in traffic. Traffic congestion costs the average commuter 182 hours of delay and 86 gallons of fuel wasted every year in major urban areas. That's over 4 weeks of vacation time and a months' worth of fuel for a vehicle with average gas mileage. Statewide congestion is estimated to cost drivers over $3.7 billion per year in lost time and wasted fuel. Maintaining Pennsylvania's huge existing roadway system is a constant challenge. Although the recently signed Transportation Bill was an unprecedented, comprehensive package that will bring much-needed additional investment to the Commonwealth's transportation system, it is estimated that roadway needs will still not be met in 2019. Simply keeping the road system from degrading, let alone improving it, requires more funding than is currently available in the budget.

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