Region's traffic might be worse than study shows

NORFOLK

A national study measuring traffic congestion in urban areas says driving in Hampton Roads isn't so bad.

It says the average driver wasted about 29 hours and a tank of gas while stuck in traffic in 2007.

The reality is probably much worse, however, because the study doesn't factor in the delays at the region's worst choke points: the bridges and tunnels.

Studies tend to underestimate the region's motoring misery.

"We rank lower in national studies than we think we should be," said Keith Nichols, senior transportation engineer at the Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization.

Results of the latest study were released early Wednesday and measure traffic congestion nationwide for 2007. They suggest that it is easier getting around in Hampton Roads than in similar -size cities such as Charlotte, N.C.; Jacksonville, Fla.; Raleigh/Durham, N.C.; and Las Vegas.

David Schrank, associate research scientist for the Texas Transportation Institute at Texas A&M University, which did the study, agreed that congestion in Hampton Roads is probably worse than his numbers suggest.

"Our study probably underestimates the effects of tunnels in your area," he said.

Schrank said the study's methodology is "one size fits all," and is meant to stimulate conversation about transportation woes.

The study calculates travel delays based on traffic counts and lane miles for urban areas. But it does not take into account that lanes bottleneck at bridges and tunnels.

A recent study by the region's transportation planning group showed that Hampton Roads drivers typically slow down when crossing tunnels and bridges.

That study also showed that congestion at the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel typically stretches 6.5 miles on summer afternoons. On Saturdays, backups can last 10 hours.

The Texas study ranked Hampton Roads' traffic delays as the 41st-worst among the 90 metropolitan areas studied. Among the 29 areas with between 1 million and 3 million residents, Hampton Roads was ranked 19th.

The greatest delays were in Los Angeles, at 70 hours, followed by Washington, D.C.; Atlanta; Houston; and San Francisco.

Hampton Roads' delays were the same as in Providence, R.I., and Cape Coral, Fla.

The national study also said that:

- Fifty-seven percent of Hampton Roads' rush-hour congestion is due to incidents on the roadways such as accidents or breakdowns.

- Congestion delays cost local travelers $579 each in lost time and fuel in 2007.

The study measured delays during three hours of the morning rush hour and three hours of the evening rush hour. The figures came from the national Highway Performance Monitoring System, which collects information from every state on lane miles and traffic counts.

Nationally, the average driver languished in rush-hour traffic for 36 hours in 2007, down from 37 hours in 2006. Hampton Roads showed a one-hour decline as well.

Both national and local transportation officials attributed the fall in congestion to rising gas prices and the poor economy, which suppressed travel overall.

Over the past decade, the report indicates, the region's congestion levels from year to year have remained relatively steady or fallen slightly.

Dwight Farmer, executive director of the regional transportation group, said the military's downsizing has also contributed to having fewer cars on the roads.

"The only silver lining from the military downsizing, the high gas prices and the economy tanking is that we've gotten a little breathing room on congestion, at least through 2007 and 2008," Farmer said.

But he predicts it will be short-lived.

"When the economy turns around," he said, "we'll be on track for ugly forecasts."

Debbie Messina, (757) 446-2588, debbie.messina@pilotonline.com