Contact:
American Public Transportation Association
Amy Coggin or Donna Aggazio
(202) 496-4800
[email protected] or [email protected]

June 20, 2002

TTI Study Shows Roadway Congestion Growing

Additional Public Transportation Investment Needed

WASHINGTON, DC, June 20 -American metropolitan communities of all sizes are witness to more and longer traffic delays due to growing roadway congestion, according to the 19th annual Urban Mobility Report released by the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI). According to study authors, roadway congestion now costs $67.5 billion per year or the value of 3.6 billion hours of delays and 5.7 billion gallons of excess fuel consumed in the 75 urban areas studied. To reduce this cost, the authors suggest a variety of strategies and investments will be needed including more public transportation.

Click here for the TTI 2002 Urban Mobility Report (PDF File*).

"Despite only one in four American households having access to satisfactory public transportation services, ridership has grown by over 22 percent in the last six years," said William W. Millar, American Public Transportation Association President. "If public transportation were available throughout the country, more people would have better choices than simply sitting in traffic."

Noting that the study deals only with roadway congestion, Millar encouraged TTI to expand its study in the future to measure a more complete picture of mobility in urban areas across America. Data should be incorporated that measures the impact of public transportation, bicycle and pedestrian usage in future studies, thus leading to a broader understanding of how people travel rather than just looking at motor vehicle congestion. This would give communities better information when they make local transportation decisions.

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