Fact #490: October 8, 2007
Traffic Congestion Wastes Fuel
The researchers at the Texas Transportation Institute have revised and improved their estimates of the effects of traffic congestion. The newly released data indicate that 2.9 billion gallons of fuel were wasted due to congestion in 2005, which is 1.6% of total highway fuel use. Estimates for 1982 showed that congestion caused a waste of 0.5 billion gallons of fuel or 0.4% of total highway fuel use.
Total Fuel Wasted Due to Congestion, 1982-2005
Supporting Information
| Year | Billion Gallons of Fuel Wasted | Wasted Share of Total Highway Fuel Use |
|---|---|---|
| 1982 | 0.5 | 0.4% |
| 1983 | 0.5 | 0.4% |
| 1984 | 0.6 | 0.5% |
| 1985 | 0.7 | 0.6% |
| 1986 | 0.8 | 0.6% |
| 1987 | 0.9 | 0.7% |
| 1988 | 1.1 | 0.8% |
| 1989 | 1.2 | 0.9% |
| 1990 | 1.3 | 1.0% |
| 1991 | 1.3 | 1.0% |
| 1992 | 1.4 | 1.1% |
| 1993 | 1.5 | 1.1% |
| 1994 | 1.5 | 1.1% |
| 1995 | 1.7 | 1.2% |
| 1996 | 1.8 | 1.2% |
| 1997 | 1.9 | 1.3% |
| 1998 | 2.0 | 1.3% |
| 1999 | 2.1 | 1.3% |
| 2000 | 2.2 | 1.4% |
| 2001 | 2.3 | 1.4% |
| 2002 | 2.4 | 1.4% |
| 2003 | 2.5 | 1.5% |
| 2004 | 2.7 | 1.6% |
| 2005 | 2.9 | 1.6% |
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Source: Texas Transportation Institute, The 2007 Urban Mobility Report, September 2007. | ||
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