PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A new study says that traffic jams cost Portland area commuters about 36 hours a year in delays, adding up to $830 in wasted time and fuel.
The Oregonian reports the annual “Urban Mobility Report” by researchers at Texas A&M University says that Northwest gridlock hasn’t changed much in recent years.
Portland is the nation’s 23rd largest urban area and ranked 23rd on the list of the U.S. cities with the worst traffic congestion, according to 2009 data used in the study.
Chicago and Washington, D.C., were the worst, with commuters spending 70 hours a year stalled in traffic, costing them between $1,500 and $1,700 in time and gas.
