Congestion Relief
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Congestion is not the only challenge our system faces, but to many Texans, it is the most visible. It doesn't have to be this way, and the Texas Department of Transportation is working to make improved mobility a reality now, and not in 20 or 30 years.
How Bad is Congestion in Texas?
According to the Federal Highway Administration, most congestion is caused by bottlenecks, with traffic accidents as the next highest contributor.
The Texas Transportation Institute's 2005 Urban Mobility Study found that many of Texas' metropolitan areas are within the top 85 congested areas in the country. Houston ranked fifth for traveler delay, and the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex ranked sixth.
We all recognize congestion when we see it. Lanes are packed, traffic slows, and it takes much longer to get to a destination than it should. In a metropolitan area, it usually means sitting in traffic. But in other, less urban areas, it may also mean sitting through several cycles of a traffic signal to get through an intersection.
While traffic congestion is annoying to motorists who experience it, it is costly to all Texans, even those in less congested areas. Indeed, congestion on our roadways costs Texans an average of $6.2 billion each year.
Solutions to the Problem
So how do we untangle the gridlock now chipping away at our economy and wasting Texans' quality time?
We are moving forward with our regional partners on short-, mid-, and long-term tactics such as pass-through financing and the Regional Mobility Authorities.
Other solutions include:
- Tolled alternative lanes
- New corridors to divert traffic
- Truck-lane restrictions
- Variable toll road pricing
- Local and regional leaders making local and regional transportation decisions
- Use of public transportation and carpooling
This is only a sampling of the ways we're working to reduce congestion. We are committed to bringing all available resources and tools to the table and finding innovative ways to keep Texas moving.
See what we're doing to reduce congestion In Your Area.
