Top 10 Cities for Gridlock Traffic

Ah, yes, gridlock traffic; isn't it a great thing? All over the world and in the U.S., everyone in major cities can be plagued with roadway congestion. It takes the form of many names, but it all boils down to one thing: bumper to bumper and 3 mile an hour traffic. Traffic congestion in major cities is one of the leading causes of lost wages and fuel consumption even though we most likely don't even realize it. Being stuck in traffic month after month can really take a bite out of time you should be at work or home, and not to mention the nibbling of your wallet at the gas pump. Below is a list of the worst major cities for gridlock traffic out of 85 with known traffic congestion problems.

1) New York--New York City, the big apple; this city that never sleeps is numero uno on the top ten list of worst cities plagued with gridlock. The Department of Transportation recently allotted the big apple over 354 million dollars to revise their roadways and improve public transit; this will be a tall order to fill because most of New York's structures such as bridges, tunnels, and sky scrapers are permanent fixtures that cannot be easily moved in order to widen roads for more lanes. Places like the Verrazano Tunnel, George Washington Bridge, and the Belt Parkway are in constant gridlock many hours of the day. It is said that 31% of the roads in New York are in gridlock several hours of the day; making commuting time consuming and sometimes impossible. Many have turned to bicycles and walking to get where they need to go.

2) San Francisco--Embarcadero, Van Ness, Broadway, and Harrison Street are in gridlock several hours out of the day. San Francisco was awarded 158 million in DOT funds in order to give aid in their rising gridlock crisis. San Francisco has a congestion rate of 35% of their major roads; which is even greater than New York. It is believed that in a recent study that each person in San Francisco loses approximately 1,121 dollars a year in lost wages and the waste of fuel from sitting in gridlock traffic.

3) Seattle--The city that never stops raining was awarded 138 million dollars by the DOT to improve their roadways and widen many congested roadways. Seattle has one of the highest roadway congestion rates at 43%. Interstates I-5, I-405, and I-90 are always in gridlock bumper to bumper traffic. It was announced in a recent study that Seattle residents spend at least 45 extra hours a year in gridlock or slow moving traffic than other major cities from poor weather, stalled vehicles, and road construction.

4) Minneapolis--I-35 West and I-94 are famous for their gridlock traffic. The amount of traffic congestion is so bad that is was only a few years ago that the I-35 bridge collapsed from gridlock weighing it down; this killed thirteen people and injured over one hundred.

5) Miami--Most parts of I-95 between Ft. Lauderdale and Miami see gridlock traffic on a daily basis. One wouldn't think of Miami as one of the most roadway congested cities, but with an ever growing infrastructure and more and more immigrants showing up every day there is a good reason it showed up on our number five spot. The DOT awarded 62 million dollars to Miami to improve and wide roadways along with attempting to improve a little used public transportation system. A recent study suggests that residents of Miami waste on average 903 dollars a person sitting in gridlock traffic from lost wages and fuel consumption.

6) Los Angeles--The city of movies stars and celebrities has a real traffic congestion problem; almost 38% of the roadways in L.A. see heavy gridlock seven to eight hours a day. A study suggests from information gathered that Los Angeles residence spend more than 136 hours a year in gridlock or slow moving traffic. That's more than three weeks of working at a full time job.

7) Chicago-The Windy city comes in right behind Los Angeles for gridlock traffic. On average commuters spend about 46 extra hours a year in bumper to bumper traffic and it costs them on average about 903 dollars a year in fuel and lost wages.

8) Atlanta--In Cobb County as much as 27% of the common roadways are heavily congested with gridlock. Atlanta is one of the fastest growing cities in the U.S.; if you've ever been to their airport or driven through there it's plain to see that the population has grown over one million in the last decade.

9) Dallas--They say don't mess with Texas, maybe you shouldn't. Dallas has an ever growing population of drivers; as a matter of fact it's one of the fastest growing cities for gridlock commuters. Dallas residents waste 61 hours a year in congested traffic which has risen from 13 hours in 1982. It tops the charts of 85 cities studied for the fastest rate increase of gridlock traffic.

10) New Jersey--Ah, the Garden state, supposedly the land of liberty and prosperity. Well, its not so prosperous if you're one of the unlucky souls that gets stuck in the Holland tunnel, on Exit 13, Route 440, or Garden State Parkway going east bound. Chances are you'll be stuck in gridlock traffic at rush hour due to New Jersey's ancient road designs that are in much needed aid of design improvement and widening.

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traffic_congestion
http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/topic/184-cities-with-worst-rush-hour-traffic-jams/
http://allworldcars.com/wordpress/?p=11866