Are the worst roads in Washington State? Experts say yes.

So, I can’t really tell you why, but I decided to do a little research on where the state of Washington rates on the quality of our roads. We spend a lot of money on our roads and highways but are we getting what we are paying for?  

There was a study done by Construction Coverage that says Washington State has the 10th worst roads in the United States. Construction Coverage says that "while road quality and funding improved nationwide from 2000 to 2020, not every state has been able to keep up. Washington State, in particular, has among the worst-quality roads in the country.”

Numbers show that 19.6% of Washington’s roads are in poor condition—nearly one in five—with 40.6% in fair condition and 39.8% in good condition. At the top of the list in first place, is Rhode Island. 

MoneyGeek says, "Regardless of how much money they spend on road conditions, states are using available funds to maintain, not fix or improve, crumbling roads." 

560 KPQ News reported that according to WalletHub, Washington state ranks second in the country for worst driving experiences: 

Washington could use improvement across the board, especially when it comes to costs. Getting a car, maintaining a car, and of course, gassing it up.

I recently did a road trip to Seattle by way of Stevens Pass and was surprised that from Skykomish to Monroe the roads seemed very bumpy for the posted speed. My son was not able to take a nap on the trip, just too bumpy. 

But what about Wenatchee? My co-worker Connor says King Street is horrible. He also went on to say “Columbia Street -This road is badly hurting - from near the Wenatchee Amtrak train stop and Link Transit/Trailways bus station - all the way to behind the Performing Arts Center. This road has been terrible for years.”

We need to work on the roads, but where will the money come from? The Washington State gas tax is the third highest gas tax in the United States. Only California and Pennsylvania gas taxes are higher. Here is an unpopular thought, instead of a gas tax how about a mileage tax based on the miles you drive in a year?

If you have a solution let me know. Drive safely and watch out for the potholes.