Road report gives low ranking to Colorado Springs

Despite three years of expanded paving, Colorado Springs didn’t fare well in a new report on the nationwide quality of roads, streets and highways.

According to TRIP, a transportation research group based in Washington, D.C., more than a third (37 percent) of roadways in Colorado Springs are of poor quality — making it the 19th-worst major city in that regard.

Denver ranks 17th in the same report, with 40 percent of its roadways in poor quality.

The report was released Wednesday.

A TRIP spokeswoman said the report is based on 2016 federal highway data, which includes state and city statistics.

As a result, the report doesn’t reflect the impact of most of the expanded paving in Colorado Springs, a project that began in 2016 after voters approved a sales tax increase to generate $250 million over five years.

The report also revealed that poor roads cost the average driver $1,049 every year in repairs, maintenance, fuel consumption and tire wear, compared to $599 in the 2016 report.

Cities with populations of 200,000 and above are ranked in the report.

To see the entire report, visit: https://www.tripnet.org.