We're spending more time stuck in traffic than ever

Data: Texas A&M Transportation Institute; Note: Includes metro areas with at least 500k residents in 2024, and passengers who typically travel during peak periods; Map: Kavya Beheraj/AxiosThe average U.S. car commuter is spending a record 63 hours annually stuck in traffic amid changes in when and why we drive, a new report finds.That's the most since 1982, when the dataset begins.Why it matters: The findings put some hard data behind a common feeling among many drivers: Traffic has been getting worse — or at least different — since the COVID-19 pandemic.Driving the news: Congestion is once again growing in many cities after a pandemic-era dip, while driver behavior has also changed, per the Texas A&M Transportation Institute's 2025 Urban Mobility Report.Traditional rush hours are returning. Yet there's also been a "noticeable rise in midday congestion," the report finds, possibly tied to remote and hybrid work changing people's schedules and travel behaviors.Thursday has overtaken Friday with the highest share of weekly delay — perhaps "because some of the Friday travel is not associated with commuting, whereas Thursday has more of a typical commute pattern."Delivery trucks are adding to traffic woes as well.The big picture: It's getting harder to predict when it'll be busy out on the roads, leading to "added traveler frustration," as the report puts it.Zoom in: Among metros with at least 500,000 residents, the "yearly delay per auto commuter" grew notably between 2019 and 2024 in cities like San Francisco (+31 hours), San Diego (+24) and Miami (+19).That's "the extra time spent during the year traveling at congested speeds rather than free-flow speeds by private vehicle drivers and passengers who typically travel in the peak periods."Some areas, like Washington, D.C. (15 fewer hours), Boston (-6) and Austin (-4), saw a decrease. How it works: The researchers used data from the Federal Highway Administration and INRIX, a transportation analytics firm.What's next: The report lays out several potential solutions based on local needs, including roadway expansions, better public transportation, new traffic-management technologies and more.Cities are experimenting with changes big and small to improve traffic flow, with something as simple as a 10-second streetlight timing tweak making a difference at one Boston intersection, Axios' Steph Solis reports.Reality check: Expanding a highway doesn't necessarily reduce traffic delays, researchers have found.Instead, more drivers show up to try to take advantage of the increased supply of roadway, and the traffic problem continues.The bottom line: It's not just you — traffic is weird now.

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