It’s Official: Los Angeles Traffic is the World’s Worst

Breitbart ^ | 21 Feb 2017 | Jae C. Hong

[xzins]

Los Angeles officially has the worst traffic in the world, a new study has revealed.

Global traffic research firm INRIX reports that Angelenos spent an average of 104 hours stuck in traffic in 2016.

The study also notes that traffic and congestion costs each Los Angeles driver “$2,408 each and the city as a whole $9.6 billion from direct and indirect costs. Direct costs relate to the value of fuel and time wasted, and indirect costs refer to freight and business fees from company vehicles idling in traffic, which are passed on to households through higher prices.”

INRIX noted that Moscow, Russia has the world’s second worst traffic congestion, with commuters in that city spending an average of 91 hours sitting in gridlocked vehicles. Manhattan, New York placed third internationally and second place in America with 89 hours. San Francisco, California placed fourth (83 hours); Bogota, Colombia was fifth (80 hours); and Sao Paulo, Brazil sixth (77 hours).

[Organic Panic]

My home base... I complain when there are 3 cars ahead of me at a stop sign. My Office on Oahu... I don’t drive to Honolulu unless absolutely imperative. I HATE driving on this island. I would say it’s worse than LA, only we don’t have to drive as far. Second office south of Berlin. I don’t drive much in Berlin but when I do it’s not that bad.

[eyeamok]

When the MASS Deportations begin, soon I hope. It will remove OVER 1 Million Cars just from Los Angeles. Traffic will get light pretty quick.

Remember 40% of the working class in Los Angeles is working under the table which means they are most likely ILLEGAL ALIENS, 40% of the Cars Gone and the Traffic is gone too.

[Woodman]

The 3 cities I’ve sampled in India are worse than anything I’ve experienced in CA or NYC.

[dragnet2]

I have never *ever* heard anyone describe LA traffic as "Mellow".

Thanks for the humor.☺

[Cementjungle]

The commute to my office in Hollywood (Sunset and Vine) was precisely 1.9 miles (including getting to my spot on the 5th floor of the parking garage). That took 20 minutes on a good day... much longer on days when there was a car chase or shooting en route (both of which were fairly frequent).

[dragnet2]

Like I said, tiny D.C. has like 650k TOTAL population. LA fwys probably have more than that on their fwys at 2:00 a.m.

No doubt D.C. traffic is crappy, but comparing it to the epic expanse of traffic on LA fwys is an unbalanced comparison.

[BwanaNdege]

“My theory was people rubbernecking at 150 mph slow down to 130, the guy behind brakes a bit, behind him, behind him....an accordion effect takes place and it gets slowed down so much that folks eventually are stopped.”

http://trafficwaves.org/

[where's_the_Outrage?]

While it’s been a few years since I’ve driven in LA, I always preferred drive there as opposed to NYC, all those tollways, toll bridges, and one way streets really muck things up. DC was also up there for waits on the beltway.

However, nothing I have experienced yet matches Bangkok.

[dragnet2]

They’ve done studies on this in LA.

I call it the giant traffic slinky syndrome.

It’s caused by people following too close in moderate to heavy traffic. Instead of back off a few car lengths and just coasting with the flow, the keep kicking their brakes because their following the vehicle in front too close. And this is simply repeated by the cars behind the first dummy who’s following too close.

[dragnet2]

The way to spot experienced top drivers on LA fwys, they're the one's ya see in heavy traffic rolling along with about 8 car lengths in front of them, so they seldom ever need to hit their brakes in heavy traffic. And your drive train will about double it's life.☺

If everyone just backed off some, the fwys would flow significantly smoother and much faster..But people are stooopid for the most part.

[BunnySlippers]

I am born and bred in LA. Mom bought my first car when i was 15 1/2. I love LA!!!

I just retired [2 months now] after 40 years working as an institutional stock trader.

Saving grace is that i hd to be at work at 5AM to adjust to the NYSE. And, in LA, the stock market closes at 1PM. So I beat a lot of the worst traffic.

i marvel, now that I don’t have to drive everyday that, now retired, I can driver for a month on 1 tank of gas!

[Yogafist]

I really think poor driving skills, or maybe it’s a complete lack of courtesy, plays as much a part of the traffic problems out here as the crowd. Where else can you get off the plane from whatever third world country you hail, and rush to DMV with you crib sheet to successfully identify that green means go and red, stop. The next day you are white knuckled in your new Lexus, wearing your poker visor and gardening gloves, in the #1 lane of the 405 at 40 mph trying to exit the freeway?

[OregonRancher]

Early 60’s, finishing college, working part time for the LA flood control agency in their labs and would go anywhere in the county for water samples. Was given copies of the master keys that opened the pole gates to the flood control channels.
It only took about 25 minutes from Glendale to Long Beach via the concrete lined LA river.

[stylecouncilor]

Sigalert! LOL! I moved out of LA in 2009- haven’t thought of that word in a long time!!!

[markomalley]

I have never *ever* heard anyone describe LA traffic as "Mellow".

Compared to around here, people are extremely chilled out over there.

Like I said, tiny D.C. has like 650k TOTAL population. LA fwys probably have more than that on their fwys at 2:00 a.m.

The DC metro area has between 6 and 7 million (yes, I know LA-San Bernardino-Riverside-Orange County has about 18 million). If you throw in the Baltimore area that rises to 9-10 million (a LOT of people from Baltimore and southern PA commute into DC).

When I lived in Riverside back in the early 90s, I used to go into LA all the time. The only thing that fazed me was motorcycles speeding along between lanes when traffic was backed up on the 91 (and that is just because I wasn't used to it at the time).

Don't get me wrong: I know that there is traffic there and a lot of it...and for long, long distances. But it is mellow. People mostly follow most of the rules...making it a far more relaxing occasion that other places around.

I mean, you guys even invented "low speed chases." How much more chill can you be?

[max americana]

What is it now, TEN lanes on ONE direction and there’s still traffic. I thought the traffic in the Philippines was insane, but the 405 is right there. If you want to really get mad early in the morning, try Highway 10 at FIVE in the morning.

yeah, that’s 5 in the morning. Monday. The traffic already builds up from Pomona to downtown L.A.

[sheana]

I drive the 101 a lot. It’s still mostly good except for going to work traffic and after about 3:30 pm. I try to stay away from the 405 but sometimes it’s just unavoidable. When I have to use it I try to hit off times. Thank God I don’t have to use it to go back and forth to work. I’m better driving it than Hubby. He gets pessed!!

[dragnet2]

We already know what the big contributor regarding the stop and go, giant slinky phenomena which causes people in venues like S. CA to kick their brakes for 40 miles etc.

It’s stupid people following the vehicle in front of them too closely. Every time the dummy in front taps his brakes, the dummy following too close hits his brakes and on and on and on it goes.

[dragnet2]

Oh, including all the surrounding populations not just LA City? If so, the LA metro/S.CA region has 20+ million.☺

D.C. is a piker when compared to massive populations centers and epic traffic venues such as the LA area.

The LA area is so massive now, SF is considered north LA with San Diego as south LA. In fact, on the coastal plain all they way to the mountains, it's solid people/cars from the Mexican border to Santa Barbara. No joke.

[markomalley]

Oh, including all the surrounding populations not just LA City? If so, the LA metro/S.CA region has 20+ million.☺

I said 18 million (I looked it up)

D.C. is a piker when compared to massive populations centers and epic traffic venues such as the LA area.

Suggest you re-read my post. I am not claiming that LA doesn't have traffic. That would be crazy.

Having said that, there is a cornucopia of reasons not to live in metropolitan Los Angeles. But the traffic isn't one of those reasons. You people are sane drivers out there.

But I do have one question: when did you last live here...and/or commuted around here? Just in case you're not familiar, please check the following comparison:

Both are very typical commutes. There are definitely worse commutes...and ones that are not nearly as bad...in both areas.