.jpg){kind=small}
The average condition of over 7,000 miles of Hillsborough County-owned roads has plunged from "satisfactory" to border-line "poor" over the last 10 years. The quality of a road is measured by its Pavement Condition Index or PCI score. A score of 85 or greater is "Good" while a score of 55 or below is poor. Every road in Hillsborough is visually inspected and rated on an annual basis and as of last report, the county's overall PCI score is at a measly 56.
A good pavement preservation program applies treatments early that extends pavement life, avoiding higher costs of reconstruction or rehabilitation later. Unfortunately for drivers in Hillsborough County, the County Commission pulled funding road maintenance from the General Fund (your property taxes) when the housing bubble burst in 2008, and our road condition has been declining ever since.
It's high time Hillsborough County Commissioners restore adequate funding to maintain our roads that autos, school buses and public transit buses travel on every day. During their campaigns for office they will tell you that transportation is their number one issue, but when it comes to prioritizing our precious tax dollars, road funding is often at the bottom of the list.
It's high time we prioritize our roads. It's time we Fix Our Roads First in Hillsborough County!