Metro area traffic ranked 2nd worst in U.S.

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It may be something that you’ll want to toot your horn to, until you read the fine print.

Traffic congestion fell slightly across the country during the last half of 2007, as drivers spent a half-hour less behind the wheel than the year before.

But that won’t last long.

The cost of congestion is staggering, according to a new study from the Texas Transportation Institute.

The annual 2009 Urban Mobility Report focuses this year on the traffic patterns over the past quarter century. It tracked driver behavior and the overall transportation system from 1982 to 2007.

And in this year’s report, the Washington area ranked No. 2 for the worst traffic in the county — second only to Los Angeles.

The average commuter spends at least 62 hours per year delayed in traffic, the study states. The average commute time to the D.C. area takes about 1 hour and 40 minutes.

And what does all this mean for your gas tank? Area residents waste an average of 42 gallons of gas annually just sitting in traffic.

The best city on the list of large U.S. urban areas was Buffalo, N.Y. Drivers there wasted just 11-hours a year in traffic, and only seven gallons of gas per year.

And though congestion may have been down in 2007, one of the co-authors of the study says don’t get used to it.

“This is a very small change,” said David Schrank, in a press release. “No one should expect to be driving the speed limit on their way to work because of this.”

Because of growing congestion, drivers have had to add at least 25 percent more time to their trips over the years, he said.

Overall, the report stated that Americans waste 4.2 billion hours behind the wheel — that’s almost a full work week or vacation week   for every traveler, said Schrank.

Congestion also costs us more, as mush as $87.2 billion a year, based on lost worker productivity and wasted fuel.

The wasted fuel — a full 2.8 billion gallons worth — is nearly one full week of gas for the average driver, the study states.

But despite their findings, the study identifies some possible solutions to the traffic problem.

It encourages more people to change their commuting habits and try public transportation. It also recommends local governments provide more public transportation.

They also suggest adding more roads, or lane miles, where they area needed most.

“Adopt realistic expectations, recognizing for instance that large urban areas are going to be congested, but they don’t have to stay that way all day,” the study’s author’s stated.

And then there is the possibility that the agencies charged with fixing the transportation crisis can’t do it alone.

“The best solutions are going to be those in which actions by transportation agencies are complemented by businesses, manufacturers and commuters,” said Tim Lomax, co-author of this year’s study. “There’s a mindset that says that this is a city government’s job or a state DOT’s job, but the problem is far too big for transportation agencies alone to address it adequately.”

In the end, the traffic problem will continue to get worse, the authors said. It has only stalled — if at all — because of the recession, they stated.

They compare today’s economic climate with that of the mid-1980s. When the economy rebounded, so did traffic, especially in the northeastern states.

Staff writer Uriah A. Kiser can be reached at 703-878-8065.