A new report says the large investment in Texas highway improvements over the past decade is paying off. This story has any number of potential starting points when it comes to Texas' uneven crumbling infrastructure. But for the sake of brevity in this news report, we’ll pick up the narrative in 2014. That’s when the federal agency known as TRIP [a national transportation research group] released its study results on state road and highway conditions.
Their research confirmed that the pavement on 49% of Texas’ major roads and highways at the time was considered to be in either poor or mediocre condition. As Houston Public Media reported in July of 2014, TRIP’s findings suggested that bad roads in Houston, for example, cost the average driver nearly $2,000 a year in vehicle repairs and extra maintenance.
And those were the facts on the ground when 79.8% of Texas voters approved Proposition 1 on the November 4, 2014 ballot. The measure allowed the state to divert more than more than $1 billion a year from the Rainy Day fund [which itself is revenue that’s been diverted from oil and gas tax revenue] to pay for road repairs and maintenance statewide.
The following year, on November 3, 2015, 83% of Texas voters then approved Proposition 7. It has increased state road funding by roughly $2.5 billion a year. As the Texas Newsroom reports, now in 2025, researchers say Texas drivers are saving money and spending less time in traffic, while fewer people are dying on Texas roadways. The new report from TRIP says Texas households are saving a little over $2,000 per year all because of the Prop. 1 and Prop. 7 transportation funding. TRIP Policy & Research Director Rocky Moretti says these improvements have prevented more than 3,500 traffic deaths over the last 10 years. Moretti elaborated on those figures and how they translate to our everyday lives. “The public is getting to places quicker; they’re driving on a more reliable system so it’s reducing their hours stuck in congestion.” Still, Moretti cautions that there’s plenty more work ahead. With Texas’ population growing by 50% since 2000 – so too has the traffic load on state highways. And Moretti emphasizes that continued investment will be key to keeping roads safe across the state in the coming years.
About every four years, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) releases a list of grades assessing the country’s infrastructure, with each state receiving its own report card. Since 2004, the Texas Section has released its report on the state of Texas’ roads, bridges, dams and more. Overall, Texas received a C grade for infrastructure. For Roads, the ASCE graded Texas as a C-. But the agency did so with several caveats to recognize the immense challenges involved with such a large state. The explanation included mentions of the expanding road network, the fast-growing population, and the sheer amount of resources directed at improving the road conditions over the last decade. Their report on Texas roads concluded, “Overall, Texas is working diligently to keep its transportation system moving.”
