California leads nation in poor roads; average cost to motorists is $590 a

Washington, DC. -- California?s major urban roadways are the roughest in the nation, costing the average state driver at least $590 annually in extra vehicle operating costs. According to a report released today by TRIP and the American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO), 35 percent of major urban roads in California are in poor condition. More than 50 percent of pavements are rated poor in seven California cities with 250,000 or more people. Los Angeles, San Jose and San Francisco-Oakland top the list of the 20 urban areas across the country with the highest percentage of bad roads. Six other metro areas make the dubious list of localities with the poor roads: Concord, San Diego, Palm Springs, Riverside-San Bernardino, Sacramento and Mission Viejo.