Traffic congestion is caused by numerous factors, including a large influx of population, roads that have not been updated to accommodate a higher population, or not enough traffic control washington during ongoing road construction work. Not in any particular order, here are five cities where you may experience a longer than usual commute.
New York, New York
Drivers in the Big Apple experience some of the worst delays in the country, with the Cross Bronx Expressway and the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway being two of the worst areas for gridlock. Lack of space to build new roads in the city is a huge culprit in New York’s traffic problem.
Los Angeles, California
As a city that embraces car culture, commuters in Los Angeles are no strangers to sitting in heavy traffic. The congestion gets worse as the City of Angels continues to grow in population.
Boston, Massachusetts
Often ranking as the most congested city in the U.S., Boston drivers experience very low average speeds within the metropolitan area. Relatively inexpensive parking in the city incentivizes commuters to drive into the downtown area rather than use public transportation. Rising housing costs in the city center push commuters to live in farther suburbs, extending the areas affected by major traffic.
Honolulu, Hawaii
On the beautiful island of Oahu, Honolulu has some of the worst traffic in the country. Similar to New York, there is limited space in Honolulu and on Oahu in general to build newer and larger roads to ease the traffic jams.
Austin, Texas
Drivers in this fast-growing city known for its music scene spend an average of 40 minutes on their daily commute, a number that is projected to double by the year 2040. A major freeway, I-35 around the downtown area gets particularly congested during rush hour traffic.
Heavy traffic is caused by many issues ranging from population growth to poor traffic control. Plan your travels wisely when visiting these cities.
