Traffic: Pain in the Butt, Costly

By Margaret Lyons in News on Aug 5, 2008 6:44PM

According to a report released today by the Metropolitan Planning Commission, congestion costs the Chicago region billions of dollars a year. Those numbers are always kinda debatable, but agreed: Traffic = not fun.

"Moving at the Speed of Congestion" says "Chicago and its six surrounding counties...squander an estimated $7.3 billion a year...due to excess traffic congestion on its expressways and arterials." That estimate includes a $5.1 billion "cost of wasted commuting time due to congestion."

The report says our constant congestion "impedes Chicagoland’s global competitiveness," is a regional problem and also a personal one, because presumably no one likes wasting time. [MPC, photo by Swanksalot]