A decade of added investment in Texas highways has saved drivers billions of dollars and helped prevent thousands of traffic deaths, according to a new report.
The report from TRIP, a national transportation research group, credits two statewide ballot measures — Proposition 1 in 2014 and Proposition 7 in 2015 — with steering nearly $40 billion into Texas highways. The measures redirected part of the state’s oil and gas taxes, along with some sales tax revenue, to help pay for road and bridge projects.
According to the report, smoother pavement, safer road design and new construction have saved Texas households an estimated $18.1 billion annually. Those savings come from fewer car repairs, less time wasted in traffic and lower costs tied to crashes.
TRIP also estimates that these improvements helped prevent more than 3,500 traffic deaths between 2015 and 2023.
“When roads are in poor conditions, it puts more stress on vehicles, so you’re spending more on vehicle repairs,” said Rocky Moretti, director of policy & research with TRIP. “The public is getting to places quicker, they’re driving on a more reliable system so it’s reducing their hours stuck in congestion.”
Drivers in the state’s largest cities benefited the most:
- Houston households saved about $2,264 a year.
- Dallas–Fort Worth drivers saved roughly $1,973 a year.
- San Antonio households saw savings of about $2,207.
- Austin saw the highest estimated savings at about $2,301 per household.
But even with those gains, many city streets are still struggling. The report found that more than half of major roads in the Houston area remain in “poor” condition.
Traffic still weighs on major metros
Even with road upgrades, congestion continues to challenge the state’s largest metro areas. According to the Texas Department of Transportation, 92 out of the 100 most congested road segments in Texas are located in Houston, Dallas–Fort Worth, Austin and San Antonio.
However, TRIP says road improvements funded by Prop 1 and Prop 7 have helped reduce traffic across the state. The table below shows the estimated annual hours in congestion before and after statewide road improvements, along with the total time saved per household.
Needs growing faster than funding
Texas’ population has jumped 50% since 2000 and the state’s traffic load has grown right along with it. TRIP said Texas will need steady, long-term investment to keep roads in good shape — and to avoid sliding back into higher repair costs, longer commutes and more dangerous crashes.
“The state must continue to prioritize investment in its transportation network to accommodate population and economic growth, further economic development, and provide a higher level of safety for the traveling public,” the report concluded.
