U.S. Department of Energy - Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Vehicle Technologies Office

Fact #580: July 20, 2009
Traffic Congestion Grows

According to the Texas Transportation Institute's latest study on traffic congestion, two of every three cars experienced congestion in their morning or evening trip in 2007. As expected, traffic congestion is worse in very large urban areas, but congestion has grown in small areas, too. The share of travel in congested conditions has more than doubled from 1982 to 2007 for each of the urban areas shown.

Share of Travel in Congested Conditions
Graph showing the percentage share of travel in congested conditons for the years 1982, 1997, and 2007 in small, medium, large, and very large urban areas. The share of travel in conjested conditions has more than doubled from 1982 to 2007 for each of the urban areas shown. For more detailed information, see the table below.

Supporting Information

Travel in Congested Conditions, 1982, 1997, and 2007
  Percent of Travel
Urban Area 1982 1997 2007
Small 10% 22% 29%
Medium 18% 32% 40%
Large 21% 50% 59%
Very Large 37% 67% 75%

Source: Texas Transportation Institute, 2009 Urban Mobility Report, July 2009.

 

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