Conditions of roads owned and maintained by Erie County have earned improved grades from an independent and non-partisan transportation advisory organization, with a comprehensive study recently completed by the Greater Buffalo-Niagara Regional Transportation Council (“GBNRTC”) providing an update on the surface conditions of the entire county highway system.

According to the Erie County Department of Public Works’ Highways Division, the results of the 2019 Highway Assessment Survey for Erie County roads show the county’s overall road score rising to 7.02, an increase from the 6.25 grade received two years ago and the highest mark the county has received since the turn of the century.

County officials say the most recent GBNRTC grade reflects the significant annual infrastructure investments made by the Poloncarz administration after disinvestment in county roads and the Public Works Department under previous administrations.

Erie County’s previous GBNRTC road scores are as follows:

2017: 6.25

2015: 6.16

2013: 6.51

2011: 6.59

2009: 6.97

2007: 6.91

2005: 6.73

2003: 6.24

2001: 6.35

“The 2019 GBNRTC assessment underscores the hard work my administration has been doing to repair and maintain our county roads and reaffirms we are heading in the right direction. My administration has invested more in roads than my predecessors did and we have invested in personnel as well, bringing the Department of Public Works up to more appropriate staff levels after that department was cut by the last two administrations,” said Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz. “After much hard work we have reached a score that Erie County roads have not seen in many years, thanks to the hard work of our Public Works crews, and from here we will be getting even better. Erie County has a very large road inventory, along with numerous bridges and culverts, and our weather challenges us to get work done when the seasons permit so we will continue to do as much as we can before the snow flies.”

Throughout the summer of 2019 the GBNRTC coordinated with staff from the Highways’ Division to complete the assessment, surveying over 2,400 lane miles utilizing visual scoring procedures developed and used by the NYS Department of in monitoring the state highway system’s physical condition.

The surface condition rating reflects the amount of scaling, cracking, patching, raveling, and faulting on a road’s surface. The ratings of these measures are made on a one to ten scale, where one represents the “poorest” roadway condition and ten the “best” roadway condition. Pavement scores above six are considered a satisfactory pavement condition, while a score of six (fair) denotes minor deterioration. Surface scores of five and below indicate conditions that should be corrected to prevent further deterioration and the need for complete reconstruction at much higher cost.

For more information:

On the Erie County Department of Public Works, visit www.erie.gov/dpw

On the Greater Buffalo-Niagara Regional Transportation Council, visit www.gbnrtc.org