Stuck in Traffic

I wait for these stats each year, and finally, the new transportation numbers are out. Washington, DC — my former home — ranks third in congestion overall, with 69 hours lost per traveler each year to traffic delays. That sounds impressive, but DC has been third for five years in a row, which might indicate a lack of effort. Fortunately, the trends favor a move up in the next year or two, as delays in the top two cities, Los Angeles and San Francisco, are dropping.

Charlotte, NC — my new home — comes in second in the mid-sized city category, with 43 hours of wasted time in traffic. Austin, TX is number one, and as someone who has ridden around that city recently, I can see why. Charlotte will have to try very hard to top Austin, but it's doable. According to the study's co-author Tim Lomax: "We show [Charlotte] as one of the leaders in congestion growth." Way to go!

While traffic was a real, daily issue for me in DC, here in Charlotte it's more of an abstraction. Mary's two-minute walk to work is hardly grueling, and my telecommute is even easier. Some of our friends no doubt wonder why we would choose to live downtown, but I wonder why anyone who works downtown chooses not to.