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U.S. Cities With the Worst Traffic Are ...
The U.S. Department of Transportation has recently announced nine of the most congested U.S. cities which are in the running to obtain federal traffic-fighting aid.Atlanta, Dallas, Denver, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Miami, New York City, San Diego, San Francisco, and Seattle where the nine semifinalists, with a "winner" set to be announced in August. The winning city will receive $1.1 billion in federal program aid designed to fight traffic using "levy tolls that vary based on traffic volumes," and new mass-transit options for residents.
I thought Los Angeles would be on the list for sure. [via]
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Filed under: United States
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)
Atl Nov 25th 2008 6:29PM
alert("ATL TRAFFIC SUCKS")
gergi Jun 14th 2007 2:03PM
This isn't the 9 worst cities... this is 9 -of- the worst. I'm sure L.A. and D.C. are #1 and #2.
Justin Glow Jun 14th 2007 2:53PM
That's true, gergi, but I wonder why they left LA and DC off the list?
A_B Jun 14th 2007 3:56PM
I wonder why they left LA and DC off the list
According to the article, these 9 cities submitted proposals that were finalists. The criteria for a winning proposal:
"“We’re asking cities to try something different, innovative and daring when it comes to fighting traffic,” said Secretary Peters. "
It seems likely that L.A. and D.C. submitted proposals that weren't sufficiently "daring."
In an article from February 2006, Forbes lists the cities with the worst traffic:
www.forbes.com/logistics/2006/02/06/worst-traffic-nightmares-cx_rm_0207traffic.html
L.A. is first, and D.C. is third.
Todd S. Jun 15th 2007 3:40AM
LA was left off the list because the one of the criteria for this funding was the requirement to include "congestion pricing" in the proposals, such as the proposal to implement a toll on traffic heading into Manhattan. LA's proposal only included the study of congestion pricing, not a plan for implementing it.
There already is a form of congestion pricing in Southern California today; the toll on the 91 Express Lanes (toll lanes located in the median of a freeway) vary based on time - eastbound peak toll on Friday between 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM is $9.50 - about a dollar a mile. The toll agency evaluates the toll pricing on a regular basis and increases it when average traffic during that hour exceeds a predefined target.
It may not be popular since freeways will no longer be fully "free", but it certainly a way to pay for traffic improvements that benefit everyone. I've paid the peak toll on the 91 express lanes because to me, the time saved is worth the money. Those that don't pay the toll benefit, too; they receive the benefit of someone else paying for added capacity.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-gridlock8jun08,1,1886857.story
Brooke Jun 16th 2007 2:16PM
Atlanta will win....have you been there?!?! It's ridiculous! Definitely alot worse than L.A. and D.C.
Erin Jun 16th 2007 2:26PM
I've driven in all of these cities save Dallas and Mineappolis. None of them come close to being as bad as LA and DC when it comes to traffic.
joi Jun 17th 2007 8:48PM
Helllllllooooo have we not driven in Boston recently ??? With the Big Dig screw-up and general weekday snarl its a wonder its not on the list...please people try driving there
cami Jun 16th 2007 2:57PM
I have been to San Diego, Ca several times. I actually live an hour from there. THEY DO NOT EVEN HAVE TRAFFIC!!! LA I would say is one of the worst cities with traffic. Its impossible to get any where, no matter what time of the day! I have sat in bumper to bumper traffic in LA at 3 am! Come on!
Michele Jun 16th 2007 2:45PM
I've driven in all of these cities and I happen to live in Dallas. Of course, I have to deal with Dallas every day and I can tell you it sucks. Really bad. But L.A. has to be the worst. Seattle is pretty awful, too. Not sure why San Diego is on the list because I think it's a breeze. Houston is pretty bad, too. And Atlanta. Does anyone drive in NYC? Or is traffic just bad for the cabbies...
Dee Jun 16th 2007 2:58PM
Federal funding and tolls? I drive Seattle every day. They have already wasted several tax raises and haven't improved anything. All they would do with funding is waste it on something like light rail that carries less than 3% of the public. Tolls would only jam it up more. It's not the funding, it's what they do with it. Open the hov lanes to all traffic would be a start. Vote someone in with common sense, oh wait, this is liberal Seattle, there is no common sense.
Joe Jun 16th 2007 3:08PM
I grew up in the Chicago area, been to LA, San Francisco but the worst I've ever seen is easily....Houston.
Claire Jun 16th 2007 3:16PM
I live in San Diego, and I can tell you there is nothing worse than I-15 and I-5 North around 2 PM on a Friday, San Diego has terrible traffic. You don't know until you deal with it everyday.
goddess Jun 16th 2007 3:15PM
Hmmmmmm..Anyone ever deal with traffic in Houston? I thought surely we would be in the top 4....
goddess Jun 16th 2007 3:18PM
Amen to that Joe!
jean Jun 16th 2007 3:26PM
I have driven in all these cities and Denver should'nt be on this list,LA& DC & Houston
infjangie Jun 17th 2007 12:00PM
I totally agree with all of these cities being listed. I currently live in San Diego, on the very southwest corner of the "city". Some of the biggest disparities that I think people are not seeing when they disagree with San Diego being listed is that our gridlock tends to occur between very specific (and long)hours, whereas in D.C. or Atlanta, it's constant. The last time I drove in Atlanta, it was a Tuesday through Saturday visit in September. The traffic was very heavy, but I never had to come to a complete stop nor did I drop below 20 mph. I don't know if that has changed, but I would think it has in light of the Atlanta area's popularity for buying a home. This is the VERY same problem we are having in S.D. If I need to be someplace at 9 a.m. and need to go 25 miles north on I-5, I will have to leave my house at about 7:30 to 7:45-ish to get there with aboutanother 10 minutes as a buffer for accidents, construction, rain, etc. But my drives through D.C. were shocking uncomlpicated. And yes, I was on the beltway. It happened to always be the days of or the days after major holidays. My first time was the day after Christmas heading to Philly around 2 p.m. I saw 3 other cars heading in the same direction the entire time. The opposite direction had just slightly more activity. But I think everyone is biased toward the city they live in or drive the most in, lol. Sometimes I think if people got a chance to drive in Japan or South Korea, they'd quit complaining about the U.S. and be proactive in finding a solution.
And yes, I have driven in those countries.
infjangie Jun 17th 2007 12:00PM
I forgot to mention that comparitively, San Diego and Houston are virtually identical now, as of about 3 years ago.
Jane Jun 16th 2007 4:23PM
Boston should be on this list!!!!
ROBERT B, Jun 16th 2007 4:44PM
YOU PEOPLE ARE INSANE AND HAVE NEVER BEEN IN TRAFFIC TILL YOU,VE BEEN ON I-95 IN MEAMI--12 TO 16 LANES OF TRAFFIC AND THE WINNER OF THE ROAD RAGE CONTEST FOR NO. I FOR 2 YEARS RUNNING--YOU,LL DON,T KNOW WHAT TRAFFIC IS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!