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KS ranks 2nd, Texas gains in state highway rankings

Quentin Hope

  Kansas ranks second overall in a comprehensive annual report on state highway performance.  Texas ranked 11th, up from 17th place in 2007.  Oklahoma and Colorado trailed far behind at 38th and 41st, respectively.

The report, prepared by the Reason Foundation, tracks the performance of state-owned highway systems from 1984 to 2009. Overall state ratings are based on eleven indicators, including highway expenditures, interstate and primary road pavement condition, bridge condition, urban interstate congestion, fatality rates and narrow rural lanes.  The annual study is based on spending and performance data submitted by the state highway agencies to the federal government.

Kansas did not rank first on any single indicator but did well overall.  Rankings of states in HPPR’s coverage area on select indicators include:

  • Rural Interstate Percent Poor Condition:  Kansas 24th ,Texas 27th, Oklahoma 42nd , Colorado 47th
  • Rural Other Principal Arterial Percent Poor:  Kansas 4th , Texas 27th , Colorado 29th , Oklahoma 45th
  • Rural Arterial Percent Narrow Lanes:  Kansas 8th, Oklahoma 16th , Texas 31st , Colorado 35th
  • Maintenance Disbursements per Mile:  Oklahoma 13th , Kansas 17th , Texas 18th , Colorado 29th
  • Administrative Disbursements per Mile:  Texas 10th , Kansas 16th , Oklahoma 21st , Colorado 40th
  • Percent of Deficient Bridges: Colorado 5th, Texas 13th , Kansas 16th , Oklahoma 38th
  • Fatality Rate: Colorado 18th , Kansas 32nd , Texas 35th , Oklahoma 42nd ,

The nonprofit Reason Foundation is a libertarian-leaning think tank, which lists David Koch among its trustees.  A pdf file of the complete report can be downloaded here.