Study: New York City Ranks Fourth For Worst Traffic; Congestion Down Across USA
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - Do you think you have it bad stuck in traffic in New York City? Well, it could be worse. You could be in Honolulu. No, really, it's worse there, according to a new study.
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According to a study from the INRIX corporation, New York ranks at number four when it comes to traffic congestion. New York drivers wasted 57 hours in traffic in 2011. The worst time was Friday from 5:30 p.m. to 5:45 p.m.
Ahead of New York were Honolulu (1), Los Angeles (2), and San Francisco (3).
Coming in behind New York were Bridgeport, Conn., Washington, Seattle, Austin, Boston, and Chicago.
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Jim Bak, who co-authored the study, told WCBS 880 reporter Paul Murnane that overall congestion fell 30 percent in 70 of America's top 100 most populated cities.
Bak attributed that to low job growth and high gas prices.
"When hiring comes back and if we get fuel prices in check, it's only going to get worse out there," he told Murnane. "We've had a bit of a traffic holiday as we've gone through the recession and we're coming out of it."
The study also listed the top 10 worst traffic corridors in the U.S. and four of them were in New York.
(2) A 16-mile stretch of the Long Island Expressway/I-495 EB from the Maurice Ave. exit to Minneola Ave./Willis Ave. exit that takes 39 minutes on average, with 22 minutes of delay.
(4) An intense three-mile stretch of I-678 NB (Van Wyck Expressway) from Belt Parkway to Main St. that takes 13 minutes on average, with 10 minutes of delay.
(6) A 10-mile stretch of I-278 WB (Brooklyn Queens/Gowanus Expressway) from NY-25A/Northern Blvd. to the NY-27/Prospect Expy Exits that takes 31 minutes on average, with 18 minutes of delay.
(8) A six-mile stretch of the I-678 SB (Van Wyck Expressway) from Horace Harding Expressway to Linden Blvd that takes 20 minutes on average, with 13 minutes of delay.
All of the other corridors on that list were in Los Angeles, except for one each in Pittsburgh and San Francisco.
What do you think the worst traffic corridor in our area is? What do you do when you're stuck in traffic? Sound off in the comments section below.
