Across America, it’s gridlock o’clock

Traffic congestion hasn’t just come back following the Covid pandemic—it’s brought friends, snacks, and no intention of leaving, new data shows.

The average American now spends 63 hours a year stuck in traffic, according to new research from Texas A&M. That’s nearly double the 36-hour average experienced in 2020, and good for the highest level on record.

Rush hour, redefined

The researchers also found that while traffic used to be mostly confined to rush hour, there's now more congestion at other times of day—making it an issue for all Americans, not just commuters.

• The daily traffic trends have also shifted compared to pre-pandemic.
• Mondays now tend to be noticeably lighter on traffic compared to other weekdays, while Thursday has nearly caught up with Friday as the heaviest traffic day of the week.

Researchers say the trend can be attributed to several reasons, including the rise of flexible and remote work, as well as a recent economic boom contributing to worse traffic congestion.

A potential solution?

Texas A&M researchers also identified several regions across the country where traffic congestion is down compared to pre-pandemic figures.

• The most notable city is Washington, D.C., where officials recently launched a new tolling strategy called dynamic pricing.
• This forces drivers to pay a higher fee to enter the city during the morning and evening rush hours, as well as other times of peak congestion.

A similar effort is currently underway in New York City, where drivers now pay as much as $9 to enter Lower Manhattan. NYC’s first-in-the-nation congestion pricing plan has already cut traffic in the toll zone since its launch in January, though data is still being collected.