One of the biggest issues facing the entire nation is the issue of aging infrastructure. A new study shows that New York State is among the worst states in the country when it comes to deteriorating rural bridges.

TRIP is a National Transportation Research Group that has released a report that provides a breakdown of the conditions of the nation’s rural roads and bridges. Specifically for New York, the findings are troubling. They found that improvements are desperately needed to address deficient roads and bridges, high crash rates, and inadequate connectivity and capacity.

According to a release from TRIP,

The report finds that 13 percent of New York’s rural bridges are rated as structurally deficient, the 13th highest rate in the nation. Eleven percent of New York’s rural roads are rated in poor condition and 20 percent are rated in mediocre condition. The rate of traffic fatalities on New York’s non-Interstate, rural roads – 1.65 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles of travel – is nearly two and a half times higher than the fatality rate on all other roads in the state.

With many tourists and commuters traveling on these roads swift action is required. John A. Corlett, AAA New York State’s Legislative Committee Chairman says, "Rural roads are far too often overlooked. With fatality rates rising nationally, repairing and maintaining the nation’s roads must be a top priority for elected officials at all levels of government."

For state legislators and members of congress the safety needs of daily travelers should be a top priority. This study conducted by the non-profit transportation research group based in Washington D.C. proves that. You can read the full Rural Connections: Challenges and Opportunities in America’s Heartland.

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