Type
General Knowledge
Author
Schrank, Lomax and Turner
Organization
Texas Transportation Institute
Published in
2010
Submitted by
Caroline Visser
Related theme(s)
Urban Mobility
Region
All Regions
Country
International

2010 Urban Mobility Report

The 2010 Urban Mobility Report, published by the Texas Transportation Institute at Texas A&M University, paints the most accurate picture yet of traffic congestion in the 439 U.S. urban areas. Thanks to the wealth of speed data provided by INRIX, a leading private-sector provider of travel time information, the current report offers a greatly enhanced picture of congestion on a city-by-city basis.

After two years of slight declines in overall traffic congestion – attributable to the economic downturn and high fuel prices – leading indicators suggest that as the economy rebounds, traffic problems are doing the same. Highlights from the research illustrate the effects of the nation’s traffic problems:

  • Congestion costs continue to rise: measured in constant 2009 dollars, the cost of congestion has risen from $24 billion in 1982 to $115 billion in 2009.
  • The total amount of wasted fuel in 2009 topped 3.9 billion gallons – equal to 130 days of flow in the Alaska Pipeline.
  • Cost to the average commuter: $808 in 2009, compared to an inflation-adjusted $351 in 1982.
  • Yearly peak delay for the average commuter was 34 hours in 2009, up from 14 hours in 1982.
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