SBF 70 years logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Report Ranks Best, Worst, Safest, and Most Expensive State Highway Systems

The Reason Foundation’s Annual Highway Report finds that North Dakota and Kansas have the nation’s most cost-effective highway systems, while New Jersey and Rhode Island have the worst.

February 13, 2018
Report Ranks Best, Worst, Safest, and Most Expensive State Highway Systems

The Reason Foundation’s Annual Highway Report ranks the performance of state highway systems in 11 categories, including spending per mile and traffic congestion. Photo by Barry Johnson

2 min to read


The Reason Foundation’s Annual Highway Report ranks the performance of state highway systems in 11 categories, including spending per mile and traffic congestion. Photo by Barry Johnson

The nation’s top-performing, most cost-effective highways can be found in North Dakota, Kansas, South Dakota, Nebraska, and South Carolina, according to a new study.

The 23rd edition of the Reason Foundation’s Annual Highway Report, released on Thursday, ranks the performance of state highway systems in 11 categories, including pavement condition, deficient bridges, traffic congestion, fatality rates, spending per mile of state-controlled highway, and system administrative costs.

Ad Loading...

According to the Reason Foundation, the significant differences between state highway systems were illustrated by the huge disparity in spending per mile. West Virginia spent the least — $35,047 per mile of state-controlled highway — while New Jersey spent the most — $2,069,020 per mile of state-controlled highway.

Overall, New Jersey ranked last, 50th, in the nation in performance and cost-effectiveness — reportedly due in part to having the nation’s worst urban traffic congestion — while also spending the most money per mile. Rhode Island, Alaska, Hawaii, and Connecticut joined New Jersey in the bottom five of the overall rankings.

In some of the individual categories, Massachusetts’ highways had the country’s lowest fatality rate, while South Carolina’s had the highest. Wyoming’s highways had the least traffic congestion, whereas drivers in New Jersey and California experienced the worst traffic jams. Alaska had the bumpiest urban interstate pavement condition, and Delaware had the smoothest.

This edition of the Reason Foundation’s Annual Highway Report is based on spending and performance data that state highway agencies submitted to the federal government for the year 2015, the most recent year with complete data available.

The overall cost-effectiveness rankings are below. Detailed information about each state’s results, as well as each of the categories, is available here.

Ad Loading...

State Highways: Overall Performance and Cost-Effectiveness Rankings

1. North Dakota
2. Kansas
3. South Dakota
4. Nebraska
5. South Carolina
6. Montana
7. Idaho
8. Wyoming
9. Missouri
10. Utah
11. Mississippi
12. Tennessee
13. Kentucky
14. North Carolina
15. Iowa
16. Arizona
17. Alabama
18. Georgia
19. Delaware
20. Nevada
21. Oregon
22. Texas
23. Maine
24. New Mexico
25. Minnesota
26. Ohio
27. Virginia
28. Illinois
29. Arkansas
30. New Hampshire
31. Colorado
32. Michigan
33. Oklahoma
34. Indiana
35. Florida
36. West Virginia
37. Louisiana
38. Wisconsin
39. Vermont
40. Maryland
41. Pennsylvania
42. California
43. Washington
44. Massachusetts
45. New York
46. Connecticut
47. Hawaii
48. Alaska
49. Rhode Island
50. New Jersey

More Management

A black and white image of a school bus technician checking diagnostics as part of a graphic with text reading "How Do Today's School Bus Manufacturers Measure Up?"
Managementby StaffJune 10, 2026

Drivers and Technicians: Help Benchmark Today's School Bus Manufacturers

If you've spent time behind the wheel or under the hood, we want to hear your perspective on the buses you know best.

Read More →
Thumbnail graphic for a School Bus Fleet video compilation. A yellow electric school bus serves as the background, with speech bubbles containing words such as “Dynamic,” “Green,” “Critical,” “Complex,” “Family,” and “Underfunded.” A red banner reads, “12 Suppliers. 1 Question. Many Answers.” The video explores how industry suppliers describe the current state of the school bus market.
Managementby Amanda HuggettJune 5, 2026

13 Industry Leaders Describe School Transportation in One Word

What word best describes the school bus industry today? We posed that question to over a dozen manufacturers, resulting in a revealing mix of perspectives on the challenges and opportunities ahead.

Read More →
Leadership update graphic announcing executive appointments at Tyler Technologies. Headshots of Ryan O’Connor, named chief transactions officer, and Franklin Williams, named chief AI officer, appear alongside the Tyler Technologies logo and School Bus Fleet branding.
Managementby News/Media ReleaseJune 5, 2026

Tyler Technologies Adds New AI, Transactions Leadership Roles

Two company executives are promoted to newly created C-suite positions to accelerate the company's long-term growth in both artificial intelligence and payments.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
An orange and white graphic with Pro-Vision and Convoy Technologies logos, and text reading "Pro-Vision Acquires Convoy Technologies."
Managementby News/Media ReleaseJune 4, 2026

Pro-Vision Acquires Convoy Technologies

The deal aims to broaden customer relationships and adds specialized vehicle video capabilities for commercial fleets.

Read More →
A Durham School Services bus with two people posing in front of it.

Durham School Services Maintenance Teams Earn Missouri Fleet Excellence Awards

Eight of the contractor’s school bus fleets achieved a distinction few maintenance teams earn during the state’s rigorous annual inspection program.

Read More →
Joe Annotti of TRC Companies speaks at ACT Expo. A text overlay reads, “School Buses as Money Makers?” highlighting discussion about electrification, vehicle-to-grid technology, and new revenue opportunities for school bus fleets.
Managementby Amanda HuggettJune 3, 2026

How Incentives, AI, and Energy Markets Are Reshaping School Transportation

Sit down with Joe Annotti of TRC Companies to talk district grant funding, utility challenges, AI, and why school buses are evolving from transportation assets into energy assets.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
A lineup of Beacon Mobility school buses with text reading "Behind the Contracting Shift."
Managementby Elora HaynesJune 3, 2026

Inside the Contracting Shift: What School Transportation Operators Are Seeing Now

School transportation contractors weigh in on recent trends, costs, driver shortages, and the rise of multimodal student transportation.

Read More →
Jeff Weiss of ExoAir Systems stands beside a roof-mounted electric air conditioning unit at ACT Expo. Text overlay reads “ExoAir: Cool Bus. No Idling.”
Managementby Amanda HuggettJune 2, 2026

The No-Idling School Bus AC System

Take a peek at ExoAir Systems’ battery-powered cooling solution designed to run for up to 10 hours without the engine on, reducing fuel use and improving comfort for drivers and students.

Read More →
Charlotte Argue of Geotab speaks at ACT Expo, gesturing toward a display of telematics and camera technology. Text overlay reads “Geotab: Data Drives Safety.”
Managementby Amanda HuggettJune 2, 2026

Geotab on Three Major Trends in School Transportation

School bus fleets are becoming more proactive than ever. From AI driver alerts to vehicle-to-grid opportunities, Geotab outlines the biggest technology trends transforming school bus operations.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Graphic announcing Gatekeeper contract news featuring a yellow school bus driving along a waterfront roadway, with “New Contract Announcements” text and Gatekeeper branding displayed prominently.
Managementby News/Media ReleaseJune 1, 2026

Gatekeeper Lands Major School Bus Deals as Revenue Surges

The video solutions provider announces contracts with Atlanta Public Schools and other fleet operators as it records quarterly revenue growth and expanding subscription business.

Read More →