In Other News: L.A. Ranked 6th Most Congested City in Nation

Los Angeles has the top two worst traffic corridors in the nation and is ranked as the sixth most congested city in the U.S., according to an annual study released Monday.

Drivers on the stretch of the Santa Ana (5) Freeway from the San Bernardino (10) Freeway to San Gabriel River (605) Freeway waste 20 minutes per day and 80 hours per year at peak hours in congestion, according to the 2019 Global Traffic Scorecard released by transportation analytics firm Inrix Inc.

The Hollywood (101) Freeway from the Ventura (134) Freeway to the Harbor (110) Freeway was ranked the second worst traffic corridor in the U.S., with drivers wasting 19 minutes daily and 76 hours per year at peak hours in congestion.

“In each case, the corridor uniquely serves a large geographic area with limited alternatives,” according to Inrix. “In the case of US-101, it cuts through the Hollywood Hills, while I-5 runs diagonally into the downtown core across numerous other highways.”

Los Angeles also captured the number 9 spot on the list. According to Inrix, drivers on the San Diego (405) Freeway from the Ventura (101) Freeway to the Glenn Anderson (105) Freeway deal with 14-minute daily delays and 56 yearly delay hours.

Los Angeles moved up one slot in the rankings of the most congested urban areas in the U.S., with the average commuter in the L.A. metro area losing 103 hours per year to congestion, costing $1,524 per driver in time lost, according to Inrix.

Boston, with 149 hours lost due to congestion, ranked as the most congested city in the U.S. for the second consecutive year, followed by Chicago (145 hours), Philadelphia (142 hours), New York City (140 hours) and Washington D.C. (124 hours).

Rounding out the top 10 were San Francisco (97 hours), Portland (89 hours), Baltimore (84 hours) and Atlanta (82 hours).

“While known historically for its congestion, Los Angeles’ (ranked sixth in congestion; 103 hours lost in 2019) constant gridlock does not have the severity as the other top-ranked cities due to its sprawling geography and massive road network,” according to an Inrix statement.

However, congestion delays increased by 4% in the Los Angeles metro area, in contrast to decreases in four of the five most congested cities in the U.S., led by Washington, D.C.’s, 11% reduction.

Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and San Francisco have the three slowest last mile speeds of 10 mph in the U.S. — in Los Angeles it’s 16 mph — meaning it is faster to bike than drive or taking the bus, according to Inrix.

Americans who want to avoid traffic might want to head for Wichita, Kansas, which had the lowest congestion levels in the U.S. for the second year in a row, with drivers losing less than two hours a year.

The report found that on average, Americans lost 99 hours a year due to congestion, costing them nearly $88 billion in 2019, an average of $1,377 per year. From 2017 to 2019, the average time lost by American drivers has increased by two hours as economic and urban growth continued nationally.

“Congestion costs Americans billions of dollars each year. However, it appears to be stabilizing in some of the country’s most congested metros — with delays rising roughly 3% nationwide since 2017,” said Trevor Reed, transportation analyst at INRIX. “The continued innovation and investment in smarter roadway management is showing early signs of progress. To reflect an increasingly diverse mobility landscape, the 2019 Global Traffic Scorecard includes both public transport and biking metrics for the first time.”

Bogota, Columbia topped the list of most congested cities in the world, with drivers losing 191 hours a year, followed by Rio de Janeiro (190 hours) and Mexico City (158 hours). Two U.S. cities made that list — Boston at No. 9 and Chicago at No. 10.

The Global Traffic Scorecard identified and ranked congestion and mobility trends in more than 900 cities across 43 countries.