Congestion Costing Kentucky Drivers $4 Billion Annually, Report Shows
Traffic throughout the Bluegrass State is costing each motorist around urban regions nearly $1,900 annually, a new report by a transportation research group found.
Overall, Kentucky’s roadways are costing drivers about $4 billion per year in extra operating costs resulting from roads in need of repair, lost time and fuel, according to an analysis by Washington, D.C.-based transportation research outfit TRIP.
Congestion is worsening, especially in and around cities. About 8% of Kentucky’s bridges also are found to be structurally deficient, meaning they require significant repair and upgrades.
In the state, about $500 billion in goods are shipped mostly by truck. Louisville is home to a massive UPS Inc. distribution center. The report calculated the cost to motorists in Louisville, Bowling Green, Lexington, Northern Kentucky and Owensboro.
“These conditions are only going to get worse, increasing the additional costs to motorists, if greater investment is not made available at the state and local levels of government,” Will Wilkins, TRIP’s executive director, said on Feb. 23. “Without adequate funding, Kentucky’s transportation system will become increasingly deteriorated and congested, hampering economic growth and quality of life of the state’s residents.”
TRIP has recently released reports on Alabama, West Virginia, New Mexico, and Montana.
