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Important Facts You Need to Know About New Hampshire's Roads and Bridges
Investments in highways, roads and bridges are essential in maintaining the safety and superior quality of life for residents who live, work and play in New Hampshire, and our economy is literally riding on the well-being of our surface transportation system.
To view the most
recent TRIP Report please go to our media section.
The 2006 New Hampshire "The
Road Information Program" (TRIP) looks
at the condition, use, safety and funding of New Hampshire’s
roads and bridges, as well as the state’s ability to meet
future mobility and traffic safety issues. The following are highlights from the
2006 New
Hampshire TRIP report:
Federal
Funding
If transportation funding remains at current
levels, many important improvements and projects will be
delayed, and conditions and service will worsen, hampering
New Hampshire
’s economic development.
Learn
more.
Highway
Congestion
Vehicle
travel in New Hampshire has increased 34 percent since 1990, and
the state's population has increased by 17 percent during that
time. Nearly a quarter (24 percent) of New Hampshire's
urban Interstates and other highways or freeways are considered
congested, because they carry a level of traffic that is likely
to result in delays during peak travel hours. Congestion
in New Hampshire is likely to worsen in the future, as vehicle
travel in the state is expected to increase 40 percent by
2025. Learn
more.
Road
& Bridge Conditions
In 2004, 47 percent of New
Hampshire's roads were rated in poor or mediocre condition,
compared to 34 percent nationally. A desirable goal is to
have 75 percent of major roads in good condition. Only 36
percent of New Hampshire's state maintained roads are considered
to be in good condition. Learn
more.
Approximately
14 percent of the state’s bridges over 20 feet long were
structurally deficient in 2005, compared to the national average
of 13 percent. Learn more.
Highway
Safety
An average of 139 people were killed each year in
motor vehicle accidents in
New Hampshire
from 1999 through 2004. The fatality rate on New
Hampshire's rural, non-Interstate roads was 1.77
fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles of travel. The
fatality rate on all other roads in the state was 0.85
fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles of travel.
Learn
more.
Impact
on New Hampshire’s Economy
An
estimated 89 percent of the $31 billion worth of commodities
delivered annually to and from sites in New Hampshire are
transported on the state's highways. Learn more.
Cost to
Motorists
The Federal Highway Administration has found that
every dollar spent on street and highway improvements results in
$5.40 in benefits, including improved traffic safety, reduced
travel delays and reduced vehicle operating costs.
Transportation
Funding Update
With a significant increase in transportation funding, New Hampshire
would be able to complete or accelerate the progress of needed
highway transportation projects. These projects would help
relieve traffic congestion, improve the condition of the
transportation system and improve traffic safety. These projects
are crucial to the state’s ability to provide more efficient
traffic flow for motorists and commercial truckers, which would
help improve economic productivity and boost economic growth.
Learn
more.
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