Kansas roads ranked 6th best in the US, according to new study

Dorothy and Toto didn’t travel by car, but if they were on Kansas roads today, they might be happy with what they saw, thanks to recent state funding increases, according to a Consumer Affairs study.

Even though one motorist from Wichita gave Kansas roads an 8 out of 10, they noted that “only major roads are improved on a regular basis.” Still, only about 1% of its rural roads and 10% of its urban roads are considered poor by the IRI.

The Tax Policy Center’s most recent findings show that Kansas spends just over the national average ($626 per capita versus $616) on its highways each year.

The study analyzed road conditions by states this year and determined each state’s ranking by comparing the following four factors:

  • Amount spent per mile of road
  • Motor crash fatalities on roads per mile
  • Percentage of roads in poor, fair and good condition
  • Vehicle miles traveled

The study’s worst roads are:

  1. Hawaii
  2. Rhode Island
  3. Louisiana 
  4. California 
  5. Wisconsin 
  6. Mississippi
  7. Arkansas
  8. Colorado
  9. South Carolina
  10. Iowa

The study’s best roads are:

  1. New Hampshire
  2. Minnesota
  3. Vermont
  4. Alabama
  5. Idaho
  6. Kansas
  7. Florida
  8. Georgia
  9. Nevada
  10. Indiana

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