LA Commuters Face Worst Traffic in the Nation, Study Shows

Los Angeles ranks as having the second worst traffic in the world behind London, where commuters spent an estimated 101 hours in traffic in 2015

To the surprise of no one who drives on SoCal freeways, the Los Angeles metro area was ranked as the most congested region in the nation and the second most congested in the world, according to a traffic score card released Tuesday by INRIX Inc.

LA drivers spent an average of 81 hours in traffic in 2015, beating out Washington, D.C. and San Francisco, where motorists waited in traffic for 75 hours last year, according to speed data collected on more than 1.3 million miles of roads last year. Houston and New York City ranked fourth and fifth with 74 and 73 hours, respectively.

Across the country, the study revealed commuters spent more than 8 billion hours in traffic in 2015, averaging around 50 hours per driver.

London is the only city in the world with worse traffic than LA. In 2015, London residents spent an approximate 101 hours in traffic delays.

Four of Los Angeles' highways also rank in the top 10 worst roadways in the world, the study showed. These stretches included the 101 Freeway from Topanga Canyon Boulevard to Vignes Street, the 101 Freeway between the 60 Freeway and Haskell Avenue, the 10 Freeway between 20th Street and Alameda Street and the 5 Freeway between Cesar Chavez Avenue and Valley View Avenue.

Higher employment rates, low gas prices and economic and population growth are to blame for the congestion on roadways in the U.S., INRIX stated. 

In February, the Federal Highway Administration reported that LA's most-traveled freeways were in poor condition, ranking California as No. 10 in the nation for its number of structurally deficient bridges.

To combat LA's traffic problem and get cars off the road, Metro has constructed new lines such as the Metro Expo Line extension from downtown LA to Santa Monica and the Metro Gold Line extension eastward through the San Gabriel Valley. Metro also recently unveiled plans to open a passenger rail line and toll road through the Sepulveda Pass if the city approves a tax hike, the LA Times reported.

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