Tables: Severely Congested Roads and the Cost to Eliminate Them
Posted 4/29/07
Severely Congested Roadways, 403 Urbanized Areas
| Roadway Type | 2003 Miles | 2003 Miles Severely Congested | Percent Severely Congested | 2003 Lane-Miles Severely Congested* | 2030 Lane-Miles Severely Congested* | Percent Change |
| Urban Interstate | 12,766 | 2,100 | 16.4 | 17,800 | 27,400 | 54.3 |
| Urban Other Freeway | 8,677 | 1,000 | 11.5 | |||
| Urban Other Principal Arterial | 44,351 | 2,200 | 4.9 | 9,000 | 12,400 | 37.5 |
| Urban Minor Arterial | 75,124 | 3,700 | 4.9 | 12,700 | 19,900 | 56.1 |
| Urban Collector | 75,894 | 2,700 | 3.6 | |||
| Urban Local | 553,822 | - | - | |||
| Total | 770,634 | 11,700** | - | 39,500 | 59,700 | 51.1 |
* - Rounded to nearest 100 for convenience.
** - Excluded local mileage
Costs by Roadway Type
| Roadway Type | Current 2003 Miles* | Current Est. Lane-Miles* | Additional Lane-Miles Needed* | Percent of Current System to be added | Cost of Additional Lane-Miles ($Billion) | Cost per Added Lane-Mile ($Million) |
| Urban Interstate and OFE | 21,400 | 113,600 | 38,600 | 33.90 | 362 | 9.4 |
| Urban OPA | 44,400 | 177,400 | 20,700 | 11.70 | 75 | 3.6 |
| Urban Min. Arterial | 75,100 | 150,200 | 1,300 | 0.80 | 96 | 2.2 |
| Urban Collector | 75,900 | 151,800 | 41,900 | 27.50 | ||
| Local | 553,800 | 1,107,600 | 800 | 0.07 | ||
| Total | 770,600 | 1,700,600 | 103,200 | 6.20 | 533 | 5.1 |
* - Roundest to nearest 100 for convenience
Costs of Relieving Severe Congestion by City Size ($Billions)
| City Size | Interstate and OFE | Other Principal Arterial | Minor Arterials | Total | Percent of Total Cost | Percent of Total U.S. Population | Cost Per Hour of Delay Saved |
| 3+ Million | $251 | $36 | $38.5 | $325.6 | 61.0 | 23.7 | $2.72 |
| 1-3 Million | 70.7 | 10.7 | 16.7 | 98.2 | 18.4 | 16.6 | 1.83 |
| 500,000 - 1 Million | 20.1 | 12.0 | 16.0 | 48.1 | 9.0 | 8.1 | 3.73 |
| 250,000-500,000 | 14.7 | 10.5 | 15.2 | 40.4 | 7.6 | 6.3 | 10.44 |
| 50,000-250,000 | 5.5 | 5.1 | 10.6 | 21.2 | 4.0 | 10.4 | 6.43 |
| Total All | $362.3 | $74.4 | $96.9 | $533.5 | 100 | 65.2 | $2.76 |
Source: Building Roads to Reduce Traffic Congestion in America's Cities: How Much and at What Cost? by David T. Hartgen, Ph.D., and M. Gregory Fields, for the Reason Foundation, August 2006