In other words, a trip that would take you one hour at the speed limit would take you one hour and 48 minutes in rush hour. Traffic congestion is a major problem and is getting worse. Not only here, but around the nation. Almost all cities show increasingly severe congestion for longer periods of time affecting more of the transportation network than in earlier reference points for the study. Congestion costs are increasing.
Road expansions do slow the growth in congestion.
The report suggests that building new roads can't be the only answer, but needs to be part of a balanced approach including additional roadway capacity, more efficient roadway operations, buses, carpools, HOV lanes, trains, and more. All must make their appropriate contribution to solving the congestion crisis. The report confirms the basic information that the public already knows from its own experience. The troubling national rankings underscore the importance to Washington's economy of delivering solutions to these problems. But big steps are going to be necessary to solve big problems.