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Dec 13, 2021
Although overall traffic has declined throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Los Angles remains one of the most congested areas in the nation for drivers. A new study released by INRIX, a company specializing in car services and transportation analytics, confirms that Southern California, in particular, has some of the country’s busiest roads and worst gridlock.
In its 2021 Global Traffic Scorecard, INRIX compiles data to determine a list of the 25 most congested roads in America. On that list are four Los Angeles-area highways, with the southbound Interstate 5 Highway between Euclid Avenue and the 605 Freeway coming in at the number one most congested roadway in the U.S.
According to INRIX’s data, the I-5 South has a peak delay of 22 minutes at 4 p.m., costing local drivers an average of 89 hours annually. That’s more than a dozen additional hours lost to traffic gridlock than the second most congested roadway in the nation – New York’s I-27 West.
Los Angeles’ I-10 East between Washington Boulevard and the 110 Freeway came in at number 10 on INRIX’s list of most congested roads in America. The I-10 has a peak delay of 14 minutes (again at around the 4 p.m. rush hour), costing drivers an average of 55 lost hours throughout the course of the year.
Ranked as the 11th most congested roadway in America was the I-405 North Freeway between Santa Monica Boulevard and Valley Vista Boulevard. Drivers on the I-405 face a peak delay of 13 minutes during the 4 p.m. rush hour, costing commuters approximately 55 hours stuck in traffic every year.
Another Los Angeles-area roadway making INRIX’s list – coming in at number 14 – was the U.S. 101 South Freeway from Santa Monica Boulevard to Alvarado Street. With a peak delay time of 13 minutes during the 4 p.m. rush hour, drivers lost an average of 51 hours throughout the year while stuck in traffic.
Additionally, the I-580 Freeway in Dublin, California, made INRIX’s list as the number five most congested U.S. road in 2021.
INRIX’s full list of the Top 10 Most Congested Roads in the nation includes:
In terms of the most congested cities in the world, Los Angeles did not make INRIX’s Top 10 List, with London coming in at number one and Paris number two. The complete list of the most congested cities in the world, according to INRIX’s data, includes:
Earlier this year, INRIX released its Urban Mobility Report examining overall congestion in various areas throughout the nation. The report confirmed a first for Los Angeles, which had held the dubious honor of having the worst traffic in America for nearly 40 years.
With the pandemic changing commuter habits, Los Angeles dropped to number four among American cities with the worst traffic, behind the New York-Newark region at number one, Boston at number two, and Houston at number three. In 2019, Los Angeles was ranked as having the worst traffic in the nation.
Moreover, in 2017, INRIX ranked L.A. as not only the most congested city in the U.S., but also the world. Among 1,360 other urban areas throughout 38 countries, Los Angeles was ranked by INRIX (for the sixth straight year) as having the “worst traffic congestion” in the world.
But that all changed in 2020 with the pandemic. And the disparity in overall congestion from year-to-year was quite substantial:
Prior to the pandemic, INRIX estimated that traffic congestion cost U.S. drivers almost $305 billion in 2017. That’s an average of $1,445 per driver in indirect and direct commuting costs.
When the pandemic finally subsides, more and more workers are expected to return to the office. But working from home may now be considered the new normal for a vast number of employees. Whether or not Los Angeles will return to the number one most congested city in America once the pandemic ends remains to be seen. But in addition to disrupting so many aspects of our daily lives, COVID-19 may have also forever altered our work habits as well as the nation’s traffic congestion data.
As we noted in a recent blog, despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Los Angeles has seen an increase in virtually all traffic crash categories throughout the first half of 2021 (when compared to the previous year).
The following Los Angeles traffic crash statistics have been confirmed for the first half of 2021 (when compared to the same period in 2020):
As a result of the increase in motor vehicle deaths through the first half of 2021, one person is now killed every 30 hours in a Los Angeles traffic collision (up from one death every 36 hours in 2020).
Ready to file a claim and pursue justice through a financial damages award? Our expert attorneys are available online or by phone now.
Traffic congestion in Los Angeles isn’t just an inconvenience. The Southern California area can be a dangerous place for even the safest of drivers. If you’ve been injured in a car accident, filing a civil claim can be a means of recovering critical financial compensation necessary to make a complete recovery.
Some common damages that may be obtained through a personal injury car accident claim include:
At Dordulian Law Group (DLG), we’ve helped countless injured victims like you secure the justice they deserve, recovering more than $200 million in settlements and verdicts for our clients.
For a free and no obligation consultation where a DLG car accident lawyer will answer any questions you may have about filing a claim, contact us today at 866-GO-SEE-SAM. There is never any fee until we successfully recover a maximum financial damages award for your car accident injury.
Sam Dordulian is an award-winning sexual abuse lawyer with over 25 years' experience helping survivors secure justice. As a former sex crimes prosecutor and Deputy District Attorney for L.A. County, he secured life sentences against countless sexual predators. Mr. Dordulian currently serves on the National Leadership Council for RAINN.
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