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America's 75 Worst Commutes
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They are the highways to hell in the country’s most gridlocked cities. The Daily Beast crunches the numbers to determine your ultimate morning nightmares. How did your commute rank?
Bumper-to-bumper traffic is America’s collective nightmare, and like the movie Groundhog Day it repeats on a daily basis.
Congestion consumes billions of gallons of fuel, wastes hundreds of billions of dollars in productivity and causes billions of stress headaches. Yet over 100 million automobile commuters each day feel like they have little option. “We put so much of our national wealth and our identity into the whole motoring thing,” says James Howard Kunstler, author of Geography of Nowhere, “that we can’t imagine doing something different.”
Anthony Downs, author of Stuck in Traffic has identified four reasons for America’s congestion problem, also applicable to most European and Asian economies: first, most of us work during the same hours of the day; second, the country’s economic success has allowed households to buy multiple cars; third, there are more people now than when most roadways were conceived; fourth, more cars means more accidents which means more delays.
In other words, this problem isn’t going anywhere. So the Daily Beast set out to figure out the worst of the worst. The true Highways to Hell. It was a two-step process, done with data from traffic-tracking firm INRIX, which culls information nationwide from more than 1.5 million GPS units, mostly in freight trucks.
Our first step was ranking the metropolitan areas with the worst rush-hour congestion. The order is based on the peak hour Travel Time Index (TTI) for the metropolitan area each highway is in. TTI is a measure of how much longer it takes to complete a road journey during peak congestion hours compared to free-flow hours. (Peak hours are defined as 6 a.m. to 10a.m., and 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.) Speeds during non-peak hours are used by INRIX to establish this free-flow baseline.
After determining the 75 worst metro areas, we then found the worst highway in each, defined as the most hours of bottleneck congestion, as reported by INRIX. The rankings then provide a still deeper look—at the most congested bottleneck segment for the worst highway in each area.
How does your commute fare? Read on.
#1, Hollywood Freeway, Los Angeles
Weekly hours of bottleneck congestion: 686
Worst bottleneck: Southbound, Vermont Avenue
Length of worst bottleneck: .64 mi
Weekly hours of congestion on worst bottleneck: 77
Speed of worst bottleneck when congested: 14 mph
The expert opinion: "I recall they would say things like it's a 20-minute trip downtown on the Hollywood Freeway,” Metropolitan Transportation Authority chief executive Art Leahy says on traffic when he was growing up in Los Angeles. “No one anticipated the congestion that would emerge."
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velvetsmog
Seattle has another terrible stretch of road, worse than #7's I-5 mention: SR 520 (Evergreen Point Floating Bridge) west from I-405 across Lake Washington to I-5. All of those Microsoft commuters going back to the city with only two lanes across a very old, very unstable bridge ... truly the worst stretch of road in America. I hated that commute when I had to do it.
case1234
I find it hard to believe that Atlanta doesn't come up until #22. Maybe the numbers would be different they tallied the # of bottlenecks per metro area.
Seniorita
agreed! Case1234 is prob. right about the metro area thing. The traffic inside 285- is never too awful. It is getting ITP w/ all the other commuters who live in Suburbia!
A forbes list from last yr has Atlanta at #1 and you have it at #22? http://www.forbes.com/2008/04/24/cities-commute-fuel-forbeslife-cx_mw_0424r ealestate.html
Also, TDB took into account Travel Time Index- "(Peak hours are defined as 6 a.m. to 10a.m., and 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.)"---- When has ATL traffic ever stopped at 7pm?!
Chris-Nesbitt-Jr
Seniorita, I think you're referring to this link: http://www.forbes.com/2008/04/24/cities-commute-fuel-forbeslife-cx_mw_0424r ealestate3_slide_11.html?thisSpeed=undefined
I'm not saying your link is wrong, it said that the links have changed. But I do agree with you guys, the commute down here SUCKS! We should have ranked higher most definitely!
TheDudeMan81
man whateva u so wrong u make me wanna puke
timeflies
Metro Atlanta can have the most maddening interstate traffic slowdowns. Operative word 'can.' But it generally occurs only during the morning and evening commute hours. I-75/285 are wicked due to the enormous amount of 18-wheel traffic traveling around the city and to outer 'burbs. Most times of the day or night, Atlanta is remarkably easy to navigate, not without slowdowns or accidents but also not with the teeth gnashing that come with the 24/7 slow to standstill traffic of other cities. Atlanta also has a wide area of secondary and intersecting highways and streets from which drivers can escape or take as alternate routes. Many of the other cities listed don't have that flexibility. No surprise @ the DC Beltway. Awful, just awful ... all the time. Filled to the brim with a united nations of temporary workers and an untouchable embassy class make it even higher anxiety.
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Heatherj43
Atlanta is the worse by far!!!
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Matt12
I could not agree more. SR-520 in Seattle takes the cake. About 5 miles. takes near an hour every day during rush hour (5-7 pm). I-5 in Seattle is a breeze in comparison!
intertrimmer
Have you ever driven the lynwood to renton 405 drive? I would drive I-5 anyday, anytime over that. it can take hours
lwkite
You got it, 405 Linwood to Renton especially the Renton S curves. God that sucks!
MadCharles
They don't build roads in California anymore unless they're car pool lanes, or toll roads we have to pay for again to use. Democrat Governor Gray Davis proudly announced, before he was recalled, "No more roads will be built in California"
In San Diego they built a 22 mile train route from Escondido to Oceanside with transportation funds voters approved for " new" "All Purpose Lanes".
You just can't trust anything a politician says.
If you have traffic problems just look at whose in charge and vote them out. You get what you vote for.
Heatherj43
The very worse area is I-75 through Atlanta, Georgia! Then The Loop through Washington D.C.
Finally, all of Detroit and its close suburbs is just horrible everywhere.
They never put in a subway or any kind of mass transiit, because it being the Motor City, they wanted people to drive cars. So, with no mass transit, we have to!!
The expressway system is outdated also, leaving it a mess to travel. If you live even a short distance from the border of Detroit, busses don't even go out that far, leaving you stuck in your little area.
I live 16 miles from the border of the city. It isn't that far in reality. In all of that 16 miles, it is all suburb, businesses, homes and all, it is not out in the country, yet no busses come out this far. Cabs are about $17 to go 3 miles.
I am stuck out here if I didn't have a car.
My parents live right on the border of the city, off 8 mile rd. To drive down to see them, I have to take I-75, that crosses I-696. It is almost always a complete stop. There are 3 places that I come to a complete stop during that 16 mile trip.
Even the surface roads are difficult because they are always under construction!! It seems as if one needs to plan well in advance how to get to any place around here because of the constant construction.
WHAT A DISASTER!!!
I wish they'd put in a passenger train system for those of us who choose not to live in the city.
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Healthnut10k
jbrendan, please keep riding the bus or train or whatever you take. It keeps one less car for me to have to deal with. Thanks for your eagerness to be hip! It helps us all!
Seniorita
jbrendan, ever been on a MARTA bus? You will drive your own car after that experience....
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James68
Yep, get on the bus and pay 3.00 to sit there with people who forgot to take a shower for the past month!
I would rather spend an hour sitting in traffic, in my own car, than sit on a bus for an hour with all of you public transit riders.
But thanks for keeping off the road, one less bad driver to deal with at least.
TDRock
^^^ I'd love to, but it's not necessarily an option for all of us. In LA the Metro service is incredibly insufficient unless you're really riding in the most central part of the city. I'm also a freelancer so I'm not just commuting to one location, I'm going all over. In short, not all of us live the same lifestyle. Now when I'm in SF or somewhere with great mass transportation, I'm there.
darla090
jbrendan, thank you for riding the bus and the trains! They take you EXACTLY where you want to go just like a car...wait no they dont...close...but not there. Oh and cars were a great invention that have helped a lot of people...you dont like the way cars run? Then dont ever need an ambulance because they run on the same stuff...or dont ever need a cop because they dont come by train...get off your high horse and quit being snooty!! Sorry you are TOO good for us fat, poor Egg McMuffin lovers. Who are you to judge you are pathetic and need to keep your sad pathetic oppinions to yourself. Guess what the train DAMN sure does not make you look independant or sexy! and your attitude doesnt make you look cool either!
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srichey321
Corolla? Should I drive an SUV instead? Unfortunately, cities like San Diego have poor transit systems that require 6 different buses and two trolleys to get to something that is ten miles away. You also have the occasional transit rider that has the habit of demonstrating how lonely their sex life really is.
Jbrendan, one more thing, by all means take a bus -- the less angry people like you on the road the better.
akryan
Not every city is built for that. Those modes of transportation aren't necessarily any faster either because you have to wait for them, they stop in a lot of places that aren't yours, there isn't necessarily a route that goes near your work, etc.
Prozac
Not only are some cities not built like that, I have to drive for a living as a social worker. Hence, no choice but to abandon public transportation (which as a social worker who doesn't sit at their desk all day, fully supports and wishes we had more of and better support for). Sadly my husband is in the same occupation. I-94 is our enemy and we confront it daily.
mellie77
Some people don't live in areas where federal taxpayer money subsidizes their subways, light rails, public transit, etc. If my city had the same public transit as NYC or Boston I would gladly quit driving my car, but the way it is now, there's only enough money for certain cities.
BeckeyBrantley
What about cities that do not have public transportation? Such as a bus? Arlington does not have public transportation so I am stuck with my car either way. That is, unless I want to walk 14 miles to work.
geophysique
Notice that the most populous Megalopolis in the USA has just one road listed on the Bottleneck list. New York City's MTA provides fast and efficient transportation to 14 Million people with over 10 million riders per day. This is what makes NYC functional as the global capital of Finance, Insurance, Real Estate, Publishing, Entertainment, Service/Hospitality, Tourism, et al. Were it not for this transportation infrastructure in the Metro area and surrounding 'suburbs' there could not be such an effective centralization of power and influence, a power that is shared by the entire country. It is fair that this system is subsidized by the State and Federal Government, because we all benefit from this system. Were other cities to integrate rail transport back into their transportation infrastructure, they could enjoy the benefits of clean and efficient commuting, which is also safe and convenient, and gives the rider time to pay attention to more important matters on their PDA/Laptop, read and analyze documents, peruse the newspaper (NYC publishes 7 Dailies which are well read) or simply listen to music, or, egad, actually talk to somebody.
Riding the subway to work is relaxing and pleasant, and many here in NYC could think of living nowhere else.
digitalrhino
Every city has only one entry in this list, it's the way they set it up.
Do try and restrain yourself before you go on with the knee jerk "NYC is amazing and I feel sorry for everyone else who doesn't live here" crap in the future. The rest of the country would appreciate it.
Route360
Were other cities to follow New York's model, it might not work for them. You make the mistake of assuming that what's good for New York is good for everyone's situation. And if it's so great for New Yorkers, then maybe New Yorkers should pay for it, and not the rest of us who don't live in the city.
DakLak
Ever been to Mexico City?
Or SaiGon with it's 3.7-million motorcycles?
The answer is emerging with the slow departure of America's BIG STEEL vehicles.
Public transit or 2-wheels are the answer. When in Toronto - during better weather days - I make use of an electric powered bicycle which can be placed in bus bicycle racks for longer commutes.
This combination makes commuting a breeze.
ChiTownDriver
Do you have snow tires for that electric bike? How are the breezes in January? Just kidding......but you walked right into that one;-)
lukesj
why quote the Wake County Public Schools spokesman when discussing congestion in Charlotte? sloppy.
larry278
It looks like I-75 from north to south in several states is America's Bottle Neck Blvd.
abrelosojos
Terribly incorrect.
For Charlotte, you're quoting a school district 2.5 hours away in Raleigh - there's no possible way they're talking about the same road.
And for the Raleigh one, you're quoting a guy in Asheville, about four hours away. They might be talking about the same interstate, but they certainly aren't referring to the same city/corridor of congestion.
This is sloppy factchecking and a sloppy job overall.
livingstonfoxer
Wait, you're telling me that the rockslide on the TENNESSEE border isn't the reason why my daily commutes to Durham take so long? Earth shattering!
Boatbuilder306
Come on people. The gigantic rockslide was almost a time zone away from Raleigh. But anyway, that's not the point. If there is anyone left in NJ or NY who has not yet moved to NC, then let me tell you this: It's TERRIBLE here. The traffic is awful. The weather is totally unpredictable and the hurricanes can whip up at any minute and just wipe your mansions right off the map. We have no delis at all, and the bagels are totally inedible. We drive slow. REAL slow. We don't use turn signals and we cram ourselves single file in the lefthand lane no matter what. If a snowflake is spotted somewhere in the state, the only vehicles on the road are rednecks heading for the ditches in their 4WD vehicles, soccer moms racing to empty the grocer shelves of bread and milk, and the newly arrived yankess flying up and down I-40 on their way to their own funerals (we rarely use salt here). Taxes are increasing every year so that little loophole is closing fast. We're not very bright here, either, since the schools are so bad, and that's leading to a skyrocketing crime rate. Might as well keep on heading down I-95 to Florida where you'll end up anyway...
Granite
I used to live in #14 Boston. During non-rush times I could get to my job in 45 minutes. To commute to work I would leave my house at 7 am and arrive two hours later between 9 and 9:15.
One day I overslept and ran out of the house at 8:30--I was panic stricken because I was 1 and 1/2hours behind schedule. But the streets were bare and I rolled into work at 9:10. Hm. From then on I left for work between 8:15 and 8:30 and always arrived shortly after nine.
It wasn't possible to get to work before nine with out leaving 2 hours ahead. But I could leave the house an hour and a half later and get in shortly after nine. I worked it out with my boss so I wasn't officially late unless I got there after 9:15 (Thanks George!).
The world will still revolve if some people get to work after nine. Try it.
DakLak
Telecommuting would even allow you to STAY in bed, dressed in a shirt and tie, so you could do all your work from home and even video calls on Skype.
FawnLiebowitz
How many years ago was this? Nowadays, the SE Expwy is locked up pretty much from 6:30-10am and 3-7pm these days--both sides, as opposed to just southbound. And Rt 3 is quickly turning into a mini-, South Shore version. Every now and then we catch a break, but they're rare. And fyi--now the orca mural is covered up most of the time by Apple product ads!
strangetimes
I'm gratified to know that the 43% of my working life I spent parked on I80 in NJ wasn't adequate to earn even an honorable mention here. In spite of the ginormous taxes (to pay for the roads, ha ha), there may be hope for the Garden State yet. Maybe.
Anyway, because of my fond memories (humorous verbal & digital conversation, fragrant fumes, loose livestock) I do have special instructions in my will. I would like to be cremated & my ashes dumped out the car window on I80, during rush hour, right before a holiday weekend, once traffic starts moving, anywhere there's 3 or more lanes. I hope I clog someone's radiator.
oliverckerr
We need light rail everywhere, with mass electric car rentals at the end of the line, vehicles that can be GPS programmed to return to where you picked the car up, without a driver. I'm sure we can do that.
Don't these gps systems announce, "turn left at the next corner?"
michaelslevinson.com
joeb1342
you realize that for #73-Columbia, that the I-26/I-95 interchange is about 65 miles from the stretch mentioned in the article?
and as abrelosojos mentioned, Wake County is hours away from East Mecklenburg/Charlotte where Independence Blvd. (US-74) is; while it's true that that stretch of US-74 is awful for traffic, at least get a 'buzzer' who makes a relevant comment about the tstretch of road you are talking about.
Absurdist
The problem here is that I-820 only runs around Fort Worth. Dallas has its own hellacious loop, LBJ aka I-635. The two loops are connected by I-30, which ain't so great itself.
BeckeyBrantley
I can't say 1-20 is much better coming from Dallas. Or 360 South during five o'clock traffic. Once you get near Division, your done.
PublicJoe
When I lived in L.A., we made a habit of knowing which freeways to avoid, at whatever time of day. We also knew the alternate routes and had occasional help from our D.J.s.
I do not recall, however, anyone being stuck or any route being blocked for 686 hours in any one 168 hour week.
This sounds like more "fuzzy math" left over from the Bush administration.
ceh2574
Joe--you are right about the d.j.s, they're a big help.
The 'fuzzy math' thing is not quite accurate, though. In this article, the TOTAL hours of bottleneck traffic at ALL bottlenecks are being tabulated--note they cite the worst bottleneck on the route as an example. Let's say there's an average of 20 exits/trouble spots at 35 hours of bottleneck traffic a week (that's very conservative, I think you'll agree). That would work out to 700 hours a week.
thirtyseven
I-65 does not have an exit at 82nd Street in Indianapolis. It should be I-69.
node111
#8 is Norwalk, CT, (not Bridgeport)
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Tamytutu81
where the heck is LIE. they don't call it the world's largest parking lot for nothing.
bjwright
I will definitely agree with you on all the highways here in Austin. I live off Mopac and Duval Rd. in north Austin and it's the worst! There is no good way to get to my job on S. Lamar during rush hour. I usually take Burnet Rd. as far as I can. Anyway, I've lived in NYC and DC and I'll say that Austin traffic is just as bad...
Absurdist
*high five*
I try not to leave home after 3 in the afternoon, because I know I won't be able to get there on time, and MoPac after 7pm is clear but all the idiots on southbound all want to drive EIGHTY like there's someplace important to be after dark.
mellie77
The road is probaly clear because teh people are driving 80 mph. Have you ever noticed how traffic starts getting backed up? It usually starts with SLOW drivers or truckers in the left lane, the same drivers that like to drive side by side with the person in the middle lane. It happens all the time on I-40 during the day.
zackatx
Very true about Austin traffic because it really does suck. It seems that whenever you are on Mopac headed either north or south it always gets congested right around downtown and then its like all of a sudden people got done admiring all the new high rises and can finally drive again. Austin most definitely needs some more highways but there just isn't much room to expand since the city grew so much so quick. Oh and that toll road didn't do crap. Is the Capital Metro light rail ever going to start? I am from Austin and think its all the new residents that just drive way to dang slow. I mean come on and quit acting like you are on a Sunday afternoon drive and just drive already. Oh and if it rains you might as well forget about getting to your destination on time becuase you would think everyone is driving for their first time. I think people should drive faster than do. Half the time no one even can seem to get up to the speed limit. Thank heavens for Austin being such a beautiful and liberal city though because it seems to balance it all out.
Route360
MoPac, yes -- you beat me to it. It is the worst.
Thank you.
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