Chicago Traffic Backing Up

By Jennifer Trammell
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Viewed 751 times.

Chicago has some of the worst traffic congestion of any city in the country.

The newest data from the National Traffic Scorecard shows that while residents are driving less than they did in 2007, traffic is up from 2008.

Chicago ranks number three in the nation when it comes to traffic congestion, just behind Los Angeles and New York.

According to Inrix Traffic Services, at the end of 2007, high gas prices kept drivers off the road. Across the country, traffic was down by 30 percent. Inrix shows with more cars on the road in 2009, traffic is coming to a standstill once again.

The annual report lists the 100 worst traffic bottlenecks across America, and almost a quarter of them are in The Windy City.

See the worst traffic bottlenecks:
http://scorecard.inrix.com/scorecard/Top100Bottlenecks.asp

"Congestion is still a serious issue facing the nation, impacting quality of life, economic vitality and the environment,” according to the Inrix report.

Here’s a hint to avoid sitting on the interstate: The busiest times on the road are Wednesday mornings and Friday afternoons.

According to the annual traffic report, stimulus projects are increasing congestion. Traffic is up 25 percent from last year’s off-peak times.