CHICAGO (FOX 32 News) - Traffic congestion nationally reached a new peak last year and is greater than ever before, according to a report by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute and INRIX Inc. Their analysis is based on federal data on the number of cars on the road and on traffic speed data collected by INRIX on 1.3 million miles of urban streets and highways.
The following are urban areas ranked by the average annual extra hours commuters spend in their cars due to delay, together with the cost in lost time and fuel.
1. Washington, D.C.-Virginia-Maryland, 82 hours, $1,834
2. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, 80 hours, $1,711
3. San Francisco-Oakland, 78 hours, $1,675
4. New York-Newark, New Jersey-Connecticut, 74 hours, $1,739
5. San Jose, California, 67 hours, $1,422
6. Boston-New Hampshire-Rhode Island, 64 hours, $1,388
7. Seattle, 63 hours, $1,491
8. Chicago-Indiana, 61 hours, $1,445
8. Houston, 61 hours, $1,490
10. Riverside-San Bernardino, California, 59 hours, $1,316
11. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, 53 hours, $1,185
12. Atlanta, 52 hours,$1,130
12. Detroit, 52 hours, $1,183
12. Miami, 52 hours, $1,169
12. Austin, Texas, 52 hours, $1,159
12. Portland, Oregon, 52 hours, $1,273
17. Phoenix-Mesa, 51 hours, $1,201
18. Honolulu, 50 hours, $1,125
19. Bridgeport-Stamford, Connecticut, 49 hours, $1,174
19. Denver-Aurora, 49 hours, $1,101
19. Oklahoma City, 49 hours, $1,110
22. Philadelphia, 48 hours, $1,112
23. Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 47 hours, $1,262
23. Tucson, Arizona, 47 hours, $1,128
23. Baltimore, 47 hours, $1,115
23. Minneapolis-St. Paul, 47 hours, $1,035
Some of the busiest areas, intersections and expressways in the report were located right here in the Chicago area:
- WB I90/94 from 35th Street to Junction
- EB I90/94 from Montrose to Ruble St.
- EB I90/ Jane Adams from I294 to Junction
- OB I290 from Damen to 9th
- IB I290 (RT 53) from Biesterfield to Austin