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Jun 23, 2008 11:31 pm US/Eastern
Report: Roads In Poor Condition Costing You Money
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
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The report -- released on Monday -- found more than one-third of our roads, the majority of our MBTA rail cars and half of our bridges are in poor condition.
WBZ
A lack of repairs on state roads, rails and bridges is not only creating potential safety hazards, it's costing us money -- that's according to a report commissioned by a coalition of unions, business and civic groups.
The report -- released on Monday -- found more than one-third of our roads, the majority of our MBTA rail cars and half of our bridges are in poor condition.
When Christina Kulvete heads out of her driveway, she hits one of the worst roads in the state -- Washington Street in Newton. There are potholes in the pavement and cracks in the concrete, which makes for an extremely rough ride.
The road is highlighted as a problem spot in a report by the non-profit group Trip, which looked at the state of roads and transportation in Massachusetts. "More than one-third of major roads, and highways have pavement in poor condition. This includes the state maintained roads and also locally maintained," said Frank Moretti of Trip.
Drivers have hit bump after bump on several Massachusetts roads. The report says driving down Washington Street hits us all in the wallet -- costing each driver an extra $156 in repairs each year. "I believe it, the bumps are terrible," said Christine. "I have a new vehicle but my old car got trashed."
Christine said her old car had had wiggly wheels and her husband got a flat tire from a pothole.
Christine claims these are all problems caused by rough roads in need of repair. Trip said the state's entire transportation system needs a major overhaul, and the economy depends on it.
"Simply put, the worse shape your roads deteriorate, the more quickly you're going to find your vehicle falling apart as well," said Moretti.
Maybe that's why some are trading four wheels for two. The City of Newton has applied for state funding to resurface part of Washington St.
At the state level, one bond bill has been approved and another is being considered that would invest almost $5 billion in transportation projects.
As for the MBTA, officials question the accuracy of the group's data and say it has made several improvements over the past few years.
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