Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Traffic jam: The 10 most congested cities in America

 

In 2009, the average American driver spent 34 hours stuck in rush-hour traffic and lost out on $808 because of it, says a new study. Check out the 10 worst cities for drivers during peak hours (6 to 10 a.m., and 3 to 7 p.m.), as ranked by the 2010 Urban Mobility Report from Texas A&M University.

- Aaron Couch, Staff Writer

In May 2005, traffic slows to a crawl in Silver Spring, Md., on the outer loop of the Washington Beltway, a roadway encircling Washington, DC, known for its traffic jams. (Andy Nelson/The Christian Science Monitor/FILE)

1. Chicago / Washington, D.C. (tie)

Yearly delay: 70 hours

Cost per driver: $1,738 (Chicago), $1,555 (Washington, D.C.)

Chicago and Washington, D.C., each benefits from a strong public transportation system, so their congestion problem, while the worst in the country, would be even more awful without it.

Without public transportation in cities across the US, the amount of extra congestion would have cost an additional 785 million hours in time delays and $19 billion worth of fuel, the report estimates.

See the other eight by clicking  here.

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