Contractors group says safer roads will help curb traffic deaths | Long Island Business News

The Long Island Contractors Association (LICA) is pointing to a new report that blames inadequate roadway safety features for a third of fatal traffic crashes. 

The report from TRIP, a national transportation research nonprofit, examined a recent increase in traffic fatalities and prescribes more investment in road safety as a major solution. 

From 2018 through 2022, 5,207 people died on New York’s highways, an average of 1,041 annual fatalities, according to New York State Department of Transportation statistics provided by LICA. The numbers also show that from 2019 to 2022, the number of traffic fatalities in New York increased by 23 percent. 

During the same period, the traffic fatality rate per 100 million vehicle miles of travel increased 39 percent, even as vehicle travel decreased by 9 percent during that time. 

LICA says 45 percent of New York’s major roads are in poor or mediocre condition, according to an association statement. In addition, 9 percent of New York’s bridges are rated in poor or structurally deficient condition, while 52 percent of the bridges are at least 50 years old, with many requiring significant rehabilitation or replacement.  

Besides the risk of injuries and fatalities, the trade group says unsafe roadways are also an economic burden. Traffic crashes in New York imposed a total of $33.6 billion in economic costs in 2022, according to LICA, including. These costs work and household productivity losses, property damage, medical costs, rehabilitation costs, legal and court costs, congestion costs, and emergency services.  

But above all, the trade group maintains that roadway improvements can reduce traffic crashes and save lives. 

“Investing in New York’s transportation system creates jobs, encourages economic recovery and growth, and improves safety,” LICA Executive Director Marc Herbst, said in the statement. “It’s time to improve our roadways and bridges to benefit the people of Long Island.” 

The trade group touted the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that was signed into law by President Biden in Nov. 2021, that will provide $13.6 billion in state funds for highway and bridge investments in New York over the next five years, including a 51 percent funding increase.  

But the group is also concerned that the cost of maintaining safe roadways in New York continues to rise. LICA says the Federal Highway Administration’s national highway construction cost index, which measures labor and materials cost, increased by 28 percent during the first three quarters of 2022.  

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