TRIP report looks at state roads, bridge conditions, traffic congestion and safety – The Stanly News & Press

While additional state and federal investments in transportation are enabling North Carolina to make needed improvements to its transportation system, the state’s ability to keep up with growing transportation needs is being challenged by significant increases in highway construction cost inflation and reduced purchasing power of motor fuel tax revenues due to improvements in vehicle fuel efficiency and the adoption of hybrid and electric vehicles, according to a new report from TRIP, a national nonprofit transportation research organization based in Washington, D.C., that examines the condition, reliability, safety and funding needs of North Carolina’s roads, highways and bridges.
The TRIP report, “Keeping North Carolina Movable: Ensuring a Modern, Reliable, and Sustainable Transportation System in the Tar Heel State,” reveals that across North Carolina, more than one-third of major roads are in poor or fair condition, 7% of bridges (20 feet or longer) are rated as structurally weak/deficient, increasing traffic congestion is hampering personal and commercial mobility, and the state’s traffic fatality rate and fatalities have increased significantly since 2019.
To address the lack of adequate transportation funding, in 2022, the North Carolina Legislature approved HB 103, which earmarks a portion of state sales tax revenues for road and highway projects. This additional sales tax revenue is projected to provide an additional $193 million in North Carolina highway funds in fiscal year 2022-23, increasing to $710 million in fiscal year 2024-25 and $855 million in fiscal year 2032-33, providing an additional $9.7 billion in highway funds by fiscal year 2032-33. The additional state highway revenues will complement the increase in federal transportation funds North Carolina received from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), signed into law in November 2021. IIJA will provide $7.2 billion in state funds for highway and bridge investments in North Carolina over five years, a 29% increase in annual federal funding for roads and bridges in North Carolina over the previous federal surface transportation program. Federal funds currently account for 33% of the revenues the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) uses to fund road and bridge improvements.
NCDOT’s ability to adequately maintain the state’s major roads, highways, and bridges depends on long-term, consistent, and adequate funding that is targeted to assets most in need of repair. While NCDOT spent $656 million on road and highway maintenance in 2022, this was $341 million less than the $997 million annual investment recommended by NCDOT. In 2022, NCDOT spent $371 million on bridge maintenance, $39 million less than the $410 million annual investment recommended. Between 2023 and 2032, NCDOT expects to increase its annual investment in road and bridge maintenance by 17% and 22%, respectively, as a result of increases in state and federal transportation revenues.
While the increased investment will help, it has not kept pace with rising inflation. The Federal Highway Administration’s National Highway Construction Cost Index, which measures labor and material costs, is up 43% in 2022 and 2023 and 68% since the start of 2021.
“Economic growth in North Carolina and the Charlotte region depends on a modern and efficient transportation network,” said Joe Bost, chief spokesperson for the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance. “Continued investment in our roads, bridges and transit systems is critical to maintaining and improving the infrastructure that supports our state’s dynamic growth and continued economic vitality.”
In Charlotte Metro, 50% of major roads are in poor or fair condition, costing the average driver $784 per year in additional vehicle operating costs (VOC). Additional vehicle operating costs total $5 billion statewide and include accelerated vehicle depreciation, additional repair costs, and increased fuel and tire wear. Statewide, more than one-third of major local and state roads are in poor condition, with 12% in poor condition and 25% in fair condition. Driving on damaged roads costs the average North Carolina driver an additional $633 per year.
Five percent of Charlotte Metro bridges are in poor/deficient structural condition, with significant deterioration of the bridge deck, supports, or other major components. Statewide, 7% of North Carolina bridges are rated as poor/deficient structurally. Most bridges are designed to last 50 years before major repairs or replacement, although many newer bridges are designed to last 75 years or longer. In North Carolina, 32% of the state’s bridges are 50 years or older.
From 2000 to 2019, vehicle trips in North Carolina increased by 37%, the fifth highest rate in the country. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, vehicle trips in North Carolina fell by a whopping 38% in April 2020 (compared to vehicle trips during the same month the previous year). By 2023, vehicle miles traveled (VMT) in North Carolina will rise to two percent below pre-pandemic levels in 2019. Congested roads, highways, and bottlenecks impede commuting and commerce, and cost North Carolina drivers $4 billion annually in wasted time and fuel. The average driver in Charlotte loses 48 hours per year to traffic and $1,319 in wasted time and fuel due to traffic, while wasting 20 gallons of fuel per year.
The TRIP report lists the 40 North Carolina highway segments with the worst travel time reliability due to congestion. The report also lists the 10 biggest freight bottlenecks that cause the longest delays to freight transportation.
Using a combination of programs and projects, the North Carolina Department of Transportation is taking steps to address safety, congestion, and reliability issues in North Carolina. These actions include: rescheduling nearly 330 traffic signals to reduce delays and stops, resulting in a 24 percent improvement in travel time, a 63 percent reduction in delays, and a 59 percent reduction in stops; operating five Transportation Management Centers (TMCs) across the state to manage highway disruptions and incidents, and the Incident Management Assistance Patrol (IMAP), which provides services to stranded drivers and works with first responders to quickly clear the scene of a crash; an investment of approximately $6.2 billion since 2019 to expand capacity on numerous sections of freeway, including the Fayetteville Outer Loop, Greensboro Loop, I-485 Charlotte Beltway, Winston-Salem Bypass, Wilmington Bypass, the I-85 corridor, Goldsboro Bypass, Salem Parkway and Jamestown Bypass.
“North Carolina’s transportation infrastructure is essential to moving goods and people safely and efficiently,” said Gary Salamido, president and CEO of the North Carolina Chamber of Commerce. “The latest TRIP report highlights the critical need for modernized transportation revenue streams that address the limitations of the gasoline tax due to continued fuel efficiency gains. While we have made great progress, North Carolina is growing and we must invest in our transportation network to ensure a successful, competitive future for the state and its residents.”
From 2019 to 2023, 7,858 people died in traffic crashes in North Carolina. The state’s 2023 traffic fatality rate of 1.36 fatalities for every 100 million miles traveled is higher than the national average of 1.26. The state’s rural non-interstate roadway fatality rate was the sixth highest in the nation and nearly three times higher than the fatality rate on all other roads in the state (2.59 vs. 0.88). Nationwide, traffic fatalities began to rise sharply in 2020, even as vehicle travel rates plummeted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and fatalities continued to rise in 2021. North Carolina’s traffic fatalities increased by 20% from 2019 to 2023, from 1,373 to 1,653, and the state’s fatality rate per 100 million VMT increased by 21% from 1.12 to 1.36 during that time. This increase in fatalities and the state’s fatality rate per 100 million VMT occurred while vehicle traffic in the state decreased by 2% from 2019 to 2023. From 2018 to 2022, 17% of the 7,678 people killed in motor vehicle crashes were pedestrians or bicyclists.
“North Carolina is making good use of increased state and federal transportation funding and is making needed improvements to its transportation network,” said Dave Kearby, TRIP executive director. “However, the state’s ability to provide a seamless, reliable and safe transportation system depends on long-term, consistent and sufficient funding. A safe, reliable transportation system that is maintained and offers improved mobility and accessibility to meet the needs of North Carolina residents, businesses and visitors is critical to keeping North Carolina mobile and the state moving forward.”