Study: Mass. Spends Too Much on Roadways for Little Improvement

The Bay State is spending as much as four times the national average to repair its roadways, but the Massachusetts highway system ranks near the bottom of the list of 50 states in a recent study by a national public policy research group.

The study is by the Los Angeles-based Reason Foundation. Massachusetts was rated among the worst states for overall highway performance, the most structurally deficient bridges, poorly paved roadways and highest repair costs per mile.

The Bay State is the safest place to drive, with the fewest motor vehicle fatalities, the study found.

Massachusetts ranked 46th in overall highway performance and cost-effectiveness in the study, as reported by the Boston Herald. The Bay State dropped one spot from its 45th-place ranking last year. The Reason Foundation analyzed data submitted by states to the federal government in 2012, the most recent year available.

Below are some of the key takeaways from the study:

-Massachusetts is shelling out $675,312 per mile of state-controlled roadway, well above the national average of $162,202. Only New Jersey spent more to fix its roads — $2 million per mile.

-The state has the third-highest administrative costs per mile at $78,855 — slightly below Connecticut and Hawaii, but far above the national average of $10,579.

-47th-place ranking for both the number of deficient bridges and the condition of the state’s rural arterial roads; and 39th for the condition of the rural interstate highways.

-Massachusetts boasts the lowest fatality rate: 0.62 deaths per 100 million vehicles miles, compared with the national average of 1.13.

Read the Reason Foundation’s 21st Annual Report on the Performance of State Highway Systems (1984-2012).

Image via Shutterstock.

How has Roslindale been affected by the state’s highway system? Leave your comments below.