The city of St. Joseph is getting ready to resurface nearly 20 miles of streets in the city after its use tax brought in more revenue than expected. While the resurfacing project will create headaches in the short term, fixing the worst roads in the city can prevent numerous car accidents over the long run.
St. Joseph Road Resurfacing Project
The City Council of St. Joseph approved a road resurfacing plan in its meeting on Monday, May 8, 2017. The plan is to work on no fewer than 115 sections in St. Joseph, accounting for over 20 miles of roadwork. The sections to be resurfaced were chosen through the city’s pavement rating program, which gives a score to a section of road based on its surface condition and how much traffic it sees on a regular basis.
Contractors are already working on a resurfacing project in St. Joseph that was approved in January. City officials, however, predict that the new project will be done in November.
Use Tax Funds Project
St. Joseph’s use tax is behind the funding for the additional street repairs. The tax was approved in 2015 as a source of income to repair local streets, and adds a 2.875 percent tax on items bought outside Missouri and used in St. Joseph. The tax brought in $4.5 million in 2016, exceeding expectations and allowing the City Council to allocate more funds for resurfacing the roads.
Poor Road Conditions Can Cause Car Accidents
While it will undoubtedly cause headaches for drivers before it’s done in November, the resurfacing project is an excellent use of the city’s money because it will prevent car accidents caused by poor road conditions.
Unfortunately, there are few statistics that accurately portray how often car accidents are caused by potholes and bad roads. However, this is largely because of the huge number of ways that poor road conditions can directly and indirectly impact a crash.
For example, if a driver sees a pothole and swerves to avoid it, veering into another lane and causing an accident, the cause of the crash will frequently be attributed to the driver’s lane change, not the pothole. Additionally, damages done to a vehicle by poor road conditions often do not show themselves right away. If you hit a pothole that damages your car and this causes an accident a mile down the road, the cause of the crash is rarely attributed to the road condition.
As a result, bad roads are an often underappreciated cause of many car accidents, making resurfacing projects like this one absolutely necessary.
Kansas City Car Accident Attorneys at the Smith Law Office
If you or someone you love has been hurt in a car accident in St. Joseph or Kansas City, you need a legal representative to help you get the compensation you deserve. Getting financial help for the costs of your injuries and the wages you have lost because of it is crucial for your well-being both during and after your recovery.
Contact the personal injury lawyers at the Smith Law Office by calling us at (816) 875-9373 or contact us online.