DC Area Traffic Nation’s Second Worst

When I had to commute into DC my days were miserable. What should be a thirty minute trip always turned into a hour or more ordeal. Thankfully I don’t have to go as far now, but I still get snagged in bumper to bumper traffic sometimes.

From NBC4 here:

The Washington metro area has the second worst gridlock in the U.S., according to a new report from the Texas Transportation Institute.

The report showed that trips are taking longer than ever and that drivers in the D.C. area spend an average of more than 60 hours a year sitting in gridlock.

Not only is traffic annoying, it’s also expensive, the report noted. It showed that traffic is costing each person who travels during rush-hour in the D.C. area, $1,094.

The report also ranked D.C. fifth in wasted fuel by travelers at 43 wasted gallons per traveler, per year.

Much of the gridlock can be solved by widening interstate 66 into the city and doing away with the ridiculous HOV lanes. HOV is an eco-religious mandate that is supposed to force people to buy hybrid vehicles or carpool. All it really does is take up an empty lane and forces people to waste gasoline sitting in stopped traffic.

If the zealot environmentalists would only realize that stopped traffic wastes way more gas and pollutes much more than moving traffic, something might get done.