In case you thought otherwise, traffic congestion on American roadways is not improving—it's getting progressively worse. According to a new study from INRIX, “strong economies, population growth, higher employment rates and declining gas prices have resulted in more drivers on the road,” which ultimately means more time wasted in traffic.
Basically, as America's largest cities continue to grow and become more affluent, driving in and around them will become a more miserable experience. Nationwide, commuters spent more than 8 billion hours stuck in traffic jams in 2015, which breaks down to about 50 hours per driver.
Fun.
Not surprisingly, Los Angeles took the cake in terms of average time wasted per commuter, with drivers there spending an average of 81 hours stuck in mind-numbing bumper-to-bumper crawls last year. Washington D.C. and San Francisco tied as the second worst cities on the list with an average of 75 hours wasted in traffic; Houston came in fourth—drivers there spent an average of 74 hours crawling along Texas highways.
New York was ranked fifth in terms of terrible roadway congestion (surely in cabs, right? Who the hell drives in New York?!). Chicago, a city that also pats itself on the back for its accessible public transportation, fared a bit better, ranking eighth on the list with the average driver spending an average of 60 hours stuck in traffic. Considering that the city is home to the worst bottleneck in the country, it comes as a bit of a surprise that Chicago didn't rank higher on the list.
If the current trend keeps up, commuting via car is set to get even more depressing. Hopefully Elon Musk and company can get their hyperloop concept up and running soon.
Here's the full list from INRIX:
1. Los Angeles: 81 hours
2. Washington DC: 75 hours
3. San Francisco: 75 hours
4. Houston: 74 hours
5. New York: 73 hours
6. Seattle: 66 hours
7. Boston: 64 hours
8. Chicago: 60 hours
9. Atlanta: 59 hours
10. Honolulu: 49 hours
