A new report from the Texas Transportation Institute shows that traffic congestion costs the state's economy $9.5 billion. While overall traffic congestion dropped in 2020 because of the sharp increase in people working from home because of COVID-19, the 2021 report from the TTI shows overall congestion levels moving back up.
The report studied the freeway sections with the biggest delays. Houston had the most-congested freeway segment in the state. Drivers spent the most time waiting in traffic on West Loop 610 between I-10 and US 59. Woodall Rodgers Freeway in Dallas was in second place, followed by I-35 in central Austin.
"These are sections of road where they are very busy in both directions of travel...sun up to sun down...and a lot of times weekends and off-peak times as well," said David Schrank with the Texas Transportation Institute at Texas A&M University.
Other north Texas locations on the list include I-35W/North Freeway from SH 183 to I-30, I-345/I-45 from downtown Dallas to US 175 and Central Expressway between Woodall Rodgers and IH-635.
The report also calculates the amount of fuel that is wasted, the number of hours lost in traffic congestion and the overall cost to the Texas economy.
"We're looking at about 2,500 miles of road in the Metroplex, and the congestion cost on those miles is about $3.2 billion," said Schrank. The statewide cost is just over $9.5 billion.
Several of the most-congested freeway segments have been on the list for several years. Schrank says the data can be used by local and state transportation planners as they try to meet the needs of the state's growing population.
"Our population is set to almost double in the next 20 to 25 years. Even if a third of the new residents of Texas work from home, the other 10 to 20 million that are needing transportation options, that's going to put a lot more burden on our transportation system," he said.
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