Despite the introduction of proven solutions to ease traffic flow, congestion is predicted to continue growing as a national problem, according to a long-running study of traffic congestion by the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI).
According to the study, the time penalty for making trips during "rush hour" is greater than ever, totaling 62 hours in 2000. That compares to 16 hours in 1982. The period of time that travelers might encounter traffic congestion grew to seven hours in 2000, up from 4.5 hours in 1982.
Also the percentage of streets and freeways in the nation experiencing congestion is higher than ever at 58% in 2000, compared to 34% in 1982, TTI said.
Despite wider use of an array of solutions, such as ramp metering, HOV lanes, incentives to make trips at different times and better incident management, TTI said that even if transportation officials do all those things, congestion will continue to grow.