Last week, the Reason Foundation released its research findings for the 20th straight year on the condition of the United States’ highway systems, state by state.
Entitled, “Reason Foundation’s 20th Annual Report on the Performance of State Highway Systems,” you can read the entire report online at no charge.
The highway systems report reviews how highways owned by the various states are doing their job – and it does this by comparing the roads to 11 different factors in all 50 states.
These factors delve into things like the condition of bridges along a highway route, how congested urban interstates are in various locales, and whether or not the pavement is smooth or pot-holed.
How Dangerous are Indiana and Illinois Highways According to this New Report? Indiana Seems Safer Than Illinois According to the Numbers
What the Reason Foundation found for Indiana and Illinois includes the following:
- Indiana ranked 22nd in the country for overall highway performance;
- Illinois ranked 34th in the country for overall highway performance;
- Indiana ranked 20th in the country for overall highway traffic fatalities in 2010;
- Illinois ranked 7th in the country for overall highway traffic fatalities in 2010; and
- Over half (52.7 percent) of the poor-condition urban interstate mileage is in just five states: California, New York, New Jersey, Illinois and Texas
From the report itself:
Illinois ranks 40th in the nation in state highway performance and cost-effectiveness, falling four spots from last year’s report.
Illinois ranks 42nd in total highway disbursements, 9th in fatalities, 9th in deficient or functionally obsolete bridges and 25th in urban Interstate congestion.
Illinois’s best rankings come in rural Interstate condition (1st), deficient or functionally obsolete bridges (9th), and fatality rates (9th).
Illinois’s lowest rankings are in capital and bridge disbursements (45th) and total disbursements (42nd).
Indiana ranks 23rd in the nation in state highway performance and cost-effectiveness, falling one spot from last year’s report.
Indiana ranks 38th in total highway disbursements, 22nd in fatalities, 21st in deficient or functionally obsolete bridges and 11th in urban Interstate congestion.
Indiana’s best rankings come in rural Interstate condition (1st), rural other principal arterial condition (1st), and maintenance disbursements (9th).
Indiana’s lowest rankings are in administrative disbursements (43rd) and capital and bridge disbursements (40th).
