Rhode Island Ranks Last in Transportation According to U.S. News and World Report

Rhode Island Ranks Dead Last in Transportation According to U.S. News and World Report

New rankings from U.S. News and World Report have placed Rhode Island at the bottom of the list when it comes to transportation. The ranking is based on four factors: commute times, road quality, bridge quality, and public transportation usage. Despite the recent failure of the Washington Bridge, this data predates that incident.

When it comes to commute times, Rhode Island ranks 28th out of 50 states, with an average commute time of 25.4 minutes for those who do not work from home. However, the state fared worst in road quality, ranking 49th out of 50 states based on federal Department of Transportation highway statistics from 2022.

Rhode Island also ranked 47th in bridge quality, but the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) is working to improve this ranking. The percentage of bridges considered structurally deficient has decreased from 15.4% to 14.1% since March 2023, and RIDOT aims to have only 10% of bridges in this condition within the next two years.

On a more positive note, Rhode Island ranked 18th for public transit usage, based on the average number of miles per resident traveled via public transit in a year. This ranking is a silver lining in an otherwise bleak transportation report for the state.

Despite these rankings, RIDOT is making efforts to improve Rhode Island’s transportation infrastructure. The agency has invested in local road repairs through programs like the RI Ready Municipal Road Fund Program and is working towards reducing the number of structurally deficient bridges in the state.

While Rhode Island may currently be at the bottom of the list for transportation, there is hope for improvement in the future as RIDOT continues its efforts to enhance the state’s infrastructure.