Texans tell The Hartford: Our Cities are Driveable, Mostly

A recent study performed on behalf of The Hartford Financial Services Group says that, even with incidents of road rage, and complains from people who are on the road a log, most Texas residents would consider their city streets to be “drivable.” Further, at least sixty percent of motorists in the major Texas cities of Austin, Dallas, and San Antonio say that their local officials do a good job at road maintenance.

Even so, residents of those cities still see room for improvement, with the following results being offered:

* Dallas drivers, besieged by weather-related potholes and rough roads, would recommend improving the condition of existing roads to improve drivability (39 percent of drivers).
* Austin drivers, with narrow roadways restricted by development, would like to see more lanes added to highways (39 percent).
* San Antonio drivers would appreciate a combination of the two solutions, with road improvements slightly nudging out adding more lanes as the No. 1 choice for improved driving conditions (32 percent vs. 28 percent).

The point of the study was to ask Texans how road conditions could be best improved, and The Hartford is using the results of the survey to help launch it’s “Pothole Patrol” initiative in key markets throughout the United States – including Dallas – with the end goal the creation of smoother commutes by filling damage-causing potholes.

The Driveablity Survey polled drivers across the country, and examined several metro areas, including the three Texas cities named above. Why Texas? Because generally, Texas motorists:

* Spend more hours driving per week than in other cities studied.
* Spend more time driving on highways.
* Spend more time driving during rush hours.
* Spend more time in traffic jams.

The survey also shows that 73 percent of Texas drivers believe traffic is worsening in their cities, and acknowledge that the existing roads were not designed to handle the amount of traffic they currently do.