It’s not your imagination, traffic is getting worse in the Pittsburgh area.
Drivers are spending more time stuck on the roads than at any point in decades.
A new report from the Texas A&M Transportation Institute shows Pittsburgh-area commuters spent an average of 53 hours in traffic last year, the most since 1982 and eight hours more than before the pandemic.
Researchers say the region’s steep hills, narrow streets, and maze of tunnels and bridges make backups even harder to avoid.
All that idling wasted more than 17 million gallons of fuel, about 20 gallons per driver, costing commuters an average of $1,450 in lost time and gas.
Traffic is worst between 7 to 9 a.m. and again from 2 to 6 p.m. as traditional rush hours make a comeback.
But, midday backups are also increasing as hybrid work schedules change travel patterns.
Nationwide, drivers are spending a record 63 hours a year in traffic.
The report points to possible solutions, including roadway expansions, better public transit, and advanced traffic-management technology.