For worst metropilitan area traffic gridlock, the winner is -- Washington, D.C., followed closely by Los Angeles and New York:
A strong economy and cheap gas have put more motorists on U.S. roads, leading to the worst-ever traffic congestion and forcing the average urban commuter to waste about 42 hours a year stuck in traffic jams, a report released on Wednesday said.
The Texas Transportation Institute report estimates U.S. highway congestion costs $160 billion a year, including from lost productivity, gas burned while idling in traffic and additional wear and tear on vehicles.
Fort Wayne often wins praise for things like low housing costs and a "family friendly" environment. I'd put (relative) lack of traffic congestion high up on the list. After experiencing Chicago traffic (which is on the top 10 gridlock list), I concluded that if I had to drive in an environment like that every day, I'd o stark raving mad inside a month.
