Portland traffic among the worst in the U.S., report shows
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Portland ranks as the 7th worst city for traffic in the U.S., according to a new report published in the Consumer Affairs Journal of Consumer Research.
Consumer Affairs determined its ranking by compiling traffic data for 49 major U.S. cities. The data focused on congestion, longest travel times and most fatal crashes. According to the results, Portland’s average commute time is below the national average at 25 minutes. However, the city’s average daily congestion time was bad enough to push Portland into the top 10 worst cities for traffic.
“Another city along I-5 finds its way into the top 10, as Portland faces the fourth-most daily congestion, lasting more than 6.5 hours per day,” the report reads. “The congestion doesn’t have a severe effect on commute time, though, as Portland’s average travel time to work, at 25 minutes, ranks in the bottom third of our list and below the national average.”
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Portland’s annual number of fatal car crashes per 100,000 people (10.2) was also below the national average. However, Portland’s fatal car crash average was high compared to some of the other most congested cities in the U.S. According to the report, Portland’s fatal car crash rate was second only to Atlanta (18.2) when comparing the cities with the top 10 worst traffic.
Seattle ranked third on the list for worst traffic in America. Although Seattle’s fatal crash rate was nearly half as bad as Portland’s, its average commute time and hours of congestion (6 hours and 50 minutes) were enough to rank the Emerald City among the top three worst cities.
“As anyone who lives in Seattle knows, traffic in the largest Pacific Northwest city can come to a halt on Interstate 5 during morning and evening rush hours,” the report reads. “Seattle has the second-longest period of daily congestion, at nearly seven hours per day, ranking behind only Los Angeles.”
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The top 10 worst cities for traffic in the U.S. according to ConsumerAffairs:
Rank | City | Overall traffic score | Average commute time | Average daily congestion | Fatal car crashes per 100,000 people |
1. | Los Angeles | 89.1 | 30.1 minutes | 7 hours, 55 minutes | 8.9 |
2. | Washington, D.C. | 84.6 | 32.7 minutes | 6 hours, 45 minutes | 4.2 |
3. | Seattle | 79.4 | 28.3 minutes | 6 hours, 50 minutes | 5.2 |
4. | San Francisco | 79.3 | 31.2 minutes | 6 hours, 8 minutes | 5.1 |
5. | New York | 76.8 |
| 5 hours, 46 minutes | 2.7 |
6. | Denver | 76.6 | 26.9 minutes | 6 hours, 26 minutes | 10 |
7. | Portland | 75 | 25 minutes | 6 hours, 36 minutes | 10.2 |
8. | Atlanta | 72.8 | 30.9 minutes | 4 hours 22 minutes | 18.2 |
9. | Chicago | 72.1 | 29.5 minutes | 5 hours, 12 minutes | 6.5 |
10. | Baltimore | 71.8 | 28.6 minutes | 5 hours, 24 minutes | 6 |
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