Stuck in Traffic
It could be worse: Houston ranks No. 11 among U.S. cities with most traffic congestion
We all agree that traffic in Houston does indeed suck. But according to the INRIX 2016 Global Traffic Scorecard, we're not as bad off as a lot of major cities.
The transportation analysis firm dug through data to determine the worst places and times to be on the road, as well as the cost of being stuck in traffic. Houston ranks outside the top 10 — at No. 11 — out of 240 cities in the U.S. The average Houston driver wasted 51 hours stuck in traffic in 2016, mostly while driving in peak hours.
Among 1.064 cities in the world, Houston ranks 28th.
U.S. cities dominated the top 10 most congested cities globally, with Los Angeles (first), New York (third), San Francisco (fourth), Atlanta (eighth) and Miami (10th). Los Angeles commuters spent an average of 104 hours last year in traffic jams during peak congestion hours — more than double the time Houstonians sit in their cars.
Among Texas cities, Dallas ranks No. 7, with 59 hours stuck in traffic, and Austin in No. 13, with 47 hours stuck in traffic, in the list of U.S. cities. But Austin has one of the most congested roadways in the nation. The I-35 southbound from Airport Boulevard to Slaughter Lane ranks No. 6 worst congested. Its peak travel time is the evening costs the average driver 63 hours of delay per year. Only roads in New York, Chicago, Boston, and Los Angeles are worse.
