For businesses, congestion often means valuable business time lost in standstill traffic. Traffic congestion delivers a double blow to the Charleston area economy in that the port thrives on efficiency-the ability to quickly clear and transport goods in and out of the terminals. Thus there are considerable economic ramifications to systemic traffic congestion. Overloaded roads also have social impacts, causing commuter frustration and, in extreme cases, emotional disturbances such as road rage. Furthermore, the interstate, highway, or road itself prematurely wears, placing further strain on limited road improvement and construction funds.
Traffic accidents are a good measure of our road safety.
When combined with congestion data, they also help identify extreme trouble spots in need of addressing, whether by community awareness, law enforcement or infrastructure improvement. Over the past five years, average traffic volume on major roads in the region increased dramatically. Volume on major arteries in East Cooper, North Charleston, Goose Creek, and Summerville grew considerably. Both residential and commercial growth are responsible for this increase. The series of bottlenecks along I-26 from North Charleston to Summerville has also worsened over the last five years.