Detroit potholes

MARCH 17, 20145- A deep lane-wide pothole has formed on the only remaining lane of the Lodge service drive at Meyers Rd, several broken hubcaps surround the area.

(Tanya Moutzalias | MLive.com)

LANSING, MI -- Michigan's deteriorating roads cost motorists hundreds of dollars a year in extra vehicle maintenance costs, according to a new report released Monday.

The annual TRIP study, conducted by a national research group funded by transportation industry interests, pegs the yearly cost at $686 per Michigan motorist.

"If all of Michigan's roads were in good condition, that number would be zero," said Rocky Moretti, director of policy and research.

His group arrived at the $686 figure using the Highway Development and Management Model, miles driven data and AAA's 2014 vehicle operating cost estimates.

Poor pavement conditions can lead to increase fuel usage, additional wear on tires and damage requiring costly maintenance, according to the report.

"Most critically, your vehicle is depreciating more quickly, which is a nice way of saying, your car is falling apart faster the worse shape the roads are in," said Moretti.

TRIP findings have long been cited by road funding advocates, including Gov. Rick Snyder. Release of the latest report comes as Michigan residents prepare to vote on Proposal 1, a May 5 ballot measure that would raise taxes to generate an estimated $2 billion a year for roads, schools, cities and mass transit.

Critics agree that Michigan roads need to be improved, but openly question whether the proposal sent to the ballot by lawmakers in December is an appropriate solution for the problem. It has not fared well in recent public polling.

"A defeat would be a mandate of the people to not raise our taxes, but that's not to say we don't need our roads fixed," Adam de Angeli, executive director of Concerned Taxpayers of Michigan, said last week during an anti-Proposal 1 rally at the state Capitol. "That's the one thing that's not in controversy ... The question is, how is it funded?"

Proposal 1 would increase the state sales by 1 percentage point but exempt fuel, triggering a series of 10 other laws that would create new and higher wholesale fuel taxes, eliminate registration fee discounts and more.

The total tax hike would average between $474 and $545 per person, according to a recent analysis by the Associated Press. Some low-wage workers could see a small net savings through expansion of the Earned Income Tax Credit.

Denise Donahue, director of the County Roads Association of Michigan, said that many motorists would actually come out ahead on Proposal 1 if they are able to save on vehicle maintenance costs highlighted by the TRIP report.

"The cost of the solution here is less than the cost of continuing the problem," she said.

Michigan's state and local road systems continue to deteriorate, according to preliminary 2014 ratings from the Transportation Asset Management Council.

An estimated 38 percent of federal-aid pavement miles were rated "poor" and 45 percent "fair" last year, according to TAMC. For local roads that do not receive federal funding, 49 percent of lane miles were rated "poor" and 41 percent "fair."

Proposal 1 would generate $1.25 billion a year for roads and infrastructure once fully implemented, according to the House Fiscal Agency. The direct funding bump would be phased in over three years as the state pays off road-related debt.

TRIP is a non-profit based in Washington D.C. that is backed by road engineering and construction companies, labor, insurance companies, equipment manufacturers and more.

Jonathan Oosting is a Capitol reporter for MLive Media Group. Email him, find him on Facebook or follow him on Twitter.