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Pennsylvania’s highway system is among the worst in the nation, ranking 39th out of 50 states in the Reason Foundation’s Annual Highway Report.

The annual report examines the cost-effectiveness and condition of each state’s highway system using 13 categories: total disbursements per mile, capital and bridge disbursements per mile, maintenance disbursements per mile, administrative disbursements per mile, rural interstate pavement condition, urban interstate pavement condition, urbanized area congestion, structurally deficient bridges, overall fatality rate, rural fatality rate and urban fatality rate.

The Keystone State received its lowest rankings for structurally deficient bridges and urbanized congestion, which ranked 46th and 45th, respectively.

Pennsylvania was one of only five states that reported more than 15% of bridges to be structurally deficient, a figure 1.5 times higher than New York and three times higher than Ohio.

The 35.53 peak hours Pennsylvanians spend in congestion is more than six times higher than the 5.68 hours for Ohio drivers, though significantly better than the 53.60 hours New Yorkers spend stuck in traffic.

“The state … could improve its 45th place ranking in congestion by building variably priced managed

An expressway with vehicles near Philadelphia� Credit: Stephen Finn/Shutterstock

toll lanes in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, an area in which the state is lagging behind peer states,” the report read.

The Pennsylvania interstate system also received low marks for urban interstate pavement condition, ranked 43rd, and administrative disbursements per mile, ranked 37th.

“Pennsylvania spends $102,329 per mile of state-controlled road. Pennsylvania is 35th in total spending per mile and 24th in capital and bridge costs per mile,” according to the report.

“To improve in the rankings, Pennsylvania needs to reduce its percentage of structurally deficient bridges and its urbanized area congestion,” said Baruch Feigenbaum, lead author of the report and senior managing director of transportation policy at Reason Foundation. “Given the poor condition of its bridges and its mediocre pavement condition, the state might consider reprioritizing its spending to focus more on roadway and bridge maintenance.

“While it may be challenging for Pennsylvania to have low costs and roadways and bridges in good condition, the state needs to prioritize bringing its infrastructure to a state of good repair.”

Pennsylvania, which operates the country’s fifth-largest highway system, received the best rankings for its rural fatality rate, which came in 10th, and overall fatality rate, ranked 22nd.

Compared with other states in the Mid-Atlantic region, Pennsylvania’s 39th-place finish was just above Maryland in 38th, as well as Delaware’s 44th place, New York’s 46th place and New Jersey’s worstin-the-nation ranking.

The state’s western neighbors, Ohio and West Virginia, fared much better, ranking 24th and 30th, respectively. Pennsylvania previously ranked 35th in 2016 and 39th in 2018 and 2019.

Nationally, North Dakota received the best marks overall this year, followed by Virginia, Missouri, Kentucky and North Carolina in the top five.

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It’s Time to Protect Your Right to Repair America’s Vehicles

Car ownership has long been a symbol of independence and personal freedom in American society. Thanks to the work of the independent auto care industry, which employs 4.7 million people and includes independent manufacturers, distributors, repair shops, and parts stores, car owners can feel confident making repairs and investing in the longevity of their car. However, due to embargoed technology solutions and anti-competitive behaviors within the marketplace, local auto repair shops and some dealerships are feeling the pressure of high costs and unnecessary burdens as a result of car repair restrictions.

Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are increasingly using a range of tactics, like patent thickets, controlling telematics data, position statements, repair procedures, and trademarks, to force repair shops and dealerships to use OEM parts and to steer more business to their preferred repair networks. These practices not only severely limit consumer choice, but cause economic ripple effects for businesses nationwide. affordable automobile collision repair parts,” says Justin Rzepka, Executive Director of the CAR Coalition. “It’s time for Congress to get serious about solutions, including the SMART Act, to ensure businesses can offer the auto repairs their customers want.”

Reform is critical to restoring competition in the marketplace. Six automakers were among the top 20 U.S. design patent recipients in 2020. These automakers have drastically increased the number of design patents they’ve applied for and been granted over the past 20 years – roughly 250% in at least one case!

The good news is that an overwhelming majority (78%) of vehicle-owning voters support federal right to repair legislation that protects against design patent abuse in the automotive industry, such as the SMART Act. And only 25% of voters believe that design patents should be used for common car items, like side mirrors and bumpers.

The SMART Act is currently sitting before the House Committee on the Judiciary, as local businesses cope with stress due to the pandemic and while inflation continues to drive up vehicle maintenance costs. Alternative parts are 26-50% less expensive than OEM parts, while also helping to decrease the cost of OEM parts by 8% through competition. These are reasons why the SMART Act will not only increase choice, but will also translate to lower prices for car repair parts.

In addition to the CAR Coalition, which includes American Property Casualty Insurance Association (APCIA), Automotive Body Parts Association (ABPA), AutoZone, and LKQ, the SMART Act is supported by the Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety Coalition, National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies (NAMIC), Auto Care Association, RetireSafe, AARP, and more.

Last year was one of the biggest years for right to repair, thanks to hard work from businesses, advocacy groups, consumers, and government officials alike. In 2022, it’s time to build on the momentum to protect your right to repair America’s vehicles. Learn more about the SMART Act and get involved today: www.carrepairchoice.org/ take-action.

Repair restrictions on cars and other items have been skyrocketing in recent years due to OEMs increasingly misusing design patents to crowd out competitors in the marketplace. On top of that, OEMs are tightening their grip on vehicle data. These restrictions make it harder for businesses to offer alternative parts during the car repair process.

While some states, like Massachusetts and Illinois, have made promising strides in the growing automotive right to repair movement recently, there’s still work to be done.

One national solution is the bipartisan Save Money on Auto Repair Transportation (SMART) Act (H.R. 3664), which would allow for greater choice of quality, safe, and affordable aftermarket car parts – putting business owners and consumers alike back in control. The SMART Act would:

• Reduce from 15 years to 2.5 years the time that car manufacturers can enforce design patents on collision repair parts, such as fenders, quarter panels and doors, against alternative parts manufacturers; and • Maintain business owners and consumers’ right to choose from a multitude of brands, prices, and products when purchasing parts and making repairs.

Importantly, the SMART Act maintains appropriate intellectual property rights for automakers by upholding the existing patent period in which automakers can enforce design patents against other automakers.