New York City Overtakes Los Angeles To Top List Of Worst Traffic In The Country, Survey Says
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- New York City just topped a list that you really don't want to be on.
A new study found we have the worst traffic in the country.
Dreaded red lines on driving apps, from slow to dead stop in a sea of brake lights.
The New York City area officially has the worst traffic in the country, according to the latest survey for Texas A&M's Transportation Institute.
The survey says a New York-Newark driver spent an average 56 hours stuck in traffic last year.
Compare that to the 46 hours on average per driver for the year in Los Angeles. LA used to be in the top spot for nearly 30 years, but not now.
"So if you think things are worse on the road, you're not imagining it. They are," transportation engineer Sam Schwartz told CBS2's Dave Carlin. "Traffic volumes that close to 100% now, but we're also seeing truck volumes at 110% because we're all expecting these deliveries to come to our homes."
Experts believe Southern California may have had more people working from home, and another factor could be fear and avoidance of New York City's subway system.
Carl Berkowitz is a transportation Expert.
"When we see the numbers have dropped in the subway and the commuter rails, where are those people? Obviously they're driving," transportation expert Carl Berkowitz said.
Drivers in our area find themselves stuck in traffic longer with the evening rush extended
"Three and 6 used to be bad, but now it's just, at 7, 8 o'clock, it's still bad," Shirley resident Robin Jordan said.
"Everybody's work habits are changing," Berkowitz said.
He adds there reasons Los Angeles may re-claim the top spot soon.
"They don't have alternatives. We have many," Berkowitz said.
He expects the congestion crown will go back to LA as more offices open back up there and more people here return to the subways and get cars off the roads.