California spends heavily but has poor road quality

A new report shows California continues to spend heavily on its roads but ranks poorly in quality. Despite a $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill in 2021, improvements in highway conditions have been minimal across the U.S. North Carolina and Virginia remain top performers, scoring high on pavement quality while keeping costs low. California, despite high spending, has some of the worst pavement quality and traffic congestion. The report indicates that overall congestion has decreased, partly due to more remote work and flexible hours. However, California's reliance on politicized project selection contributes to its low ranking in road quality.