Posted on 05/10/2005 1:10:49 PM PDT by Arrowhead1952
Annual study shows city still reigns supreme atop list of clogged cities, at a cost of $391 million
By Kate Alexander
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Tuesday, May 10, 2005
For the fifth consecutive year, Austin earned the dubious distinction as the most congested medium-size city in the country, according to a national analysis of urban traffic.
Rush-hour traffic inched along Austin's streets and highways at a slightly slower pace in 2003, the most recent year that data is available. Over the year, traffic congestion consumed 51 hours on average for each peak-hour driver, up one hour from the year before, according to the 2005 Urban Mobility Report from the Texas Transportation Institute.
Compared to 2002, the increase in travel time is minimal. But the delay was more than twice the 1993 figure.
The 2003 delay time put Austin on par with the congestion levels of much larger cities, including Miami and Boston, and far above the average level of other cities with populations from 500,000 to 1 million, the study revealed.
The cost of the delay extends beyond frustration. Texas A&M University researchers David Schrank and Tim Lomax, who conducted the annual analysis of 85 urban areas, estimate that Austin's congestion cost $391 million in lost time and excess fuel — $851 per rush-hour traveler.
Much of the nation is seeing worsening traffic conditions. Across the country, congestion caused 3.7 billion hours of delay at a cost of $63.1 billion, an increase of about $1 billion since 2002.
The researchers say a lack of investment in roadways nationwide is one of the culprits for the creeping traffic. Transportation improvements have not kept pace with growth, Lomax said. At a nation media interview Monday, he used Austin as the poster child for underinvestment.
"Austin didn't add transportation capacity in the '80s or '90s," Lomax told The Associated Press. "The 'If you don't build it, they won't come' philosophy didn't work."
Austin is building now. With five new toll roads and a commuter rail system on the horizon, Austin "might be able to make some progress on congestion," Lomax said in an interview.
"Depending upon how much of the new infrastructure is really used, I think it could actually draw away some of the inner-city traffic," he said.
But do not expect smooth sailing as a result of new improvements. The researchers warn that the pace of road-building has to exceed the rate of growth to reduce congestion.
Austin has already implemented many of the recommended methods for smoothing the flow of traffic, such as synchronizing traffic lights and clearing stalled vehicles from the highway. But there are some opportunities for reducing the delay — or at least slowing the increase of the delay — by employing high-occupancy lanes and controlling access to freeways from the on-ramps.
Enough people used public transportation in 2003 in Austin to save peak-time drivers an average of six hours a year, which translates into $49 million in congestion costs. Without public transportation, the researchers found, Austin would have seen a 13 percent increase in annual delays, among the highest in the country for midsize cities.
Much of this is due to the SOS (Save Our Springs) alliance and the EV whackos here. Several road projects were delayed because of cave spiders and other "endangered species" in the proposed right of ways.
Austin traffic ping.
And yet, I believe it is true that it is impossible to solve traffic problems by building more roads. Better access to a given area inevitably increases the rate of growth in that area, and before you know it you're right back where you started. Plus, in many cases, addition more capacity is just not feasible. I do support building more and better roads (not toll roads, ideally), but it does seem to to be a losing battle.
Tell me about it. The worst is when there are three lanes of people inching along, and people in the far right lane go onto the exit/entrance lanes and just zoom up and merge back in. They just leapfrog like that every exit. If I had a giant flamethrower mounted on my car, I would roast those drivers alive.
yep. I drive 183 every day. The new "highway" is a joke. Traffic backs up so bad because of the light at Lakeline, then the track through Cedar Park is a nightmare.
My commute route has several traffic lights that are so out of time, it makes the trips impossible.
But light rail is going to solve all the problems</sarcasm>
What was the old saying I remember the bumperstickers "pray for me I drive 183"
Don't you just love the APD for parking empty police cruisers in the medians of Loop 1 or other expressways?
I know what you mean those people make me crazy too. They don't seem to realize that it is the cars entering the freeway that cause the slowdown. They are getting off and reentering again and again, thus they are making it worse. Those entry monitoring stop lights seem to help a little.
Worse than that is when the lane goes from 3 lane to 2 and YOU KNOW THOSE PEOPLE SAW THE FLASHING ARROW SIGN 3/4 mile back, but yet they go as fast as they can and force us to let them in anyway. Now that is what really gets under my skin.... makes me want to ram them with my grill guard.
Light rail has made all the difference in Houston traffic. NOT!!!!!
I commute in a van pool, and we normally get off at the 620 exit to drop people off at the NW park & ride facility. We have to drive about 2 extra miles and by the time we get onto 183, we are AHEAD of the traffic we were behind before exiting.
The lights in Cedar Park are so out of time, we take Lakeline to 1431. I called TXDOT and they said the 1431 / 183 intersection construction would eliminate the congestion. I told them they were full of it. There could be 10 lanes going each direction, but the light timing is not allowing traffic to flow.
If you want a number to complain to TXDOT, I'll give it to you.
Oh yeah. I'm with you. If I didn't often have my infant daughter in the car, I would be tempted to do bad things. very bad things.
I have changed my route. Lime Creek Rd (Anderson Mill) is now open all the way to 1431 and has 2 stop signs. I cut across and go that way now most of the time. Beats the Cedar Park traffic.
"That light, along with the short left turn lane to the mall is horrible. "
That light is unbelievable if you want to turn left. You're better off going straight through the light and then getting into the middle turn lane after the light. But then if too many do that, you're screwed again. I used to live off Lakeline, but now I'm down in the Arboretum which is a little better. just a little.
I do that if I don't have van pool riders getting off at the NW park & ride. Don't tell everyone that secret. The last mile or so is sort of dangerous with some bad blind curves.
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