Duh! Michigan Residents Dissatisfied With Our Roads

As someone who just shelled out over a grand to repair and realign his battered front suspension, it comes as no shock to me only 35 percent of Michiganders think our roads are any good.

The only thing that surprises me is how high that number is, and that there's another state who hates their roads more than us.

We're not the most dissatisfied state when it comes to the condition of our roads. That distinction belongs to Rhode Island, where a scant 31 percent of its populace believes the roads in their state are any good.

Here at home, only 35 percent of Michiganders think our roads are any good. That number seems awfully high to me. I have never heard a single person say 'All things considered, our roads are okay.' Nope. Just cross the border into almost any other state and you'll see the roads improve almost instantly.

This is all part of a recent Gallup poll which asked residents of all 50 states if they are satisfied with the condition of the roads in their state.

Needless to say, the states that spent the most on their roads, got the most bang for their buck:

The 10 states spending the most per capita on roads average 67% satisfaction, compared with 61% satisfaction among the 10 states spending the least per capita on roads. The middle 30 states average 60% satisfaction.

At least Rhode Island has figure out a way to solve the problem, as their governor signed legislation to institute tolls to pay for improvements. We here in Michigan are still waiting for something to happen.

Michigan voters named roads as the most important problem facing the state in a 2014 poll. State political leaders there have struggled to find a way to increase spending on roads. The governor and state lawmakers agreed on a deal in late 2014 that asked voters to approve an increase in state sales and gasoline taxes to help pay for road improvements, among other things, but voters overwhelmingly rejected that ballot proposal. Last fall, the governor and legislature finally agreed on legislation to raise the gas tax and increase vehicle registration fees to raise revenues to fix the roads.

We'll see if that helps. I'm praying it does.

Here are the worst and best states for road satisfaction according to Gallup: