Operations Performance Measurement Program
photos of traffic merging on a multi-level freeway interchange, traffic near a construction zone, variable message sign, train at a crossing, traffic on a river bridge, and a rural highway
21st Century Operations Using 21st Century Technologies

UCR July 2015-September 2015 (FY 2015, Q4)

Urban Congestion Reports

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A Snapshot of Year-to-Year Congestion Trends in the U.S. for July 2015 through September 2015.

Congested Hours

Congested Hours comparison: 4:41 in 2014 and 4:30 in 2015. 2015 is a blue downward arrow indicating the general trend is for improving conditions.

-11 minutes
Average duration of daily congestion

Travel Time Index

Travel Time Index comparison: 1.36 in 2014 and 1.35 in 2015. 2015 is a blue downward arrow indicating the general trend is for improving conditions.

-1 point
Peak period vs. off-peak travel times

Planning Time Index

Planning Time Index comparison: 2.93 in 2014 and 2.81 in 2015. 2015 is a blue downward arrow indicating the general trend is for improving conditions.

-12 points
Unreliability (variability) of travel

U.S. map graphic showing each of the 52 metropolitan statistical areas identified with a dot of differing size and color relative to their improving or worsening conditions.
Graphic showing the summary of nationwide trends. 6 of the 52 cities (12%) showed improvements in all three measures; 13 of the 52 cities (25%) showed worsening conditions in all three measures; and 33 of the 52 cities (75%) had no change or mixed results among the three measures.
City (MSA) Congested Hours Travel Time Index Planning Time Index % Complete Data
2015 Change from 2014 2015 Change from 2014 2015 Change from 2014
Atlanta, GA 4:03 +0:01 1.33 +2 2.48 -4 99%
Austin, TX 3:42 -0:30 1.33 +1 2.47 -31 93%
Baltimore, MD 6:35 -0:15 1.29 -1 2.58 -23 96%
Birmingham, AL 0:48 +0:11 1.04 0 1.43 +6 100%
Boston, MA 5:42 -0:06 1.39 -1 2.93 -7 97%
Buffalo, NY 5:56 +1:03 1.19 +2 2.22 +3 91%
Charlotte, NC 2:53 -0:47 1.20 0 2.10 -7 97%
Chicago, IL 6:22 -0:18 1.42 -5 2.83 -28 98%
Cincinnati, OH 3:51 +0:10 1.25 +4 2.32 +14 98%
Cleveland, OH 3:24 -0:03 1.21 +2 2.39 -9 97%
Columbus, OH 2:55 -0:26 1.17 0 2.22 -1 98%
Dallas-Fort Worth, TX 4:09 -0:35 1.29 0 2.55 -9 98%
Denver, CO 6:39 -0:43 1.40 0 3.05 -30 94%
Detroit, MI 3:14 -1:19 1.18 -28 2.62 -123 97%
Hartford, CT 2:48 +0:01 1.17 +2 2.09 -4 95%
Houston, TX 4:53 -0:14 1.31 -2 2.60 -16 97%
Indianapolis, IN 3:12 +0:47 1.15 +2 1.80 +10 99%
Jacksonville, FL 3:37 +0:11 1.19 +5 2.27 +6 96%
Kansas City, MO 3:32 +0:06 1.15 -2 2.06 -9 94%
Las Vegas, NV 3:39 -0:10 1.19 +3 2.02 +6 93%
Los Angeles, CA 8:40 -0:17 1.67 +1 3.80 -3 96%
Louisville, KY 3:35 -0:27 1.21 +2 2.26 +42 99%
Memphis, TN 3:52 -0:15 1.17 0 1.97 -7 98%
Miami, FL 5:56 -0:15 1.34 +3 2.80 -2 97%
Milwaukee, WI 3:51 -0:09 1.26 -6 2.37 +2 94%
Minn.-St. Paul, MN 5:44 +0:28 1.35 +4 2.99 +34 85%
Nashville, TN 3:43 +0:13 1.28 +5 2.57 +8 98%
New Orleans, LA 5:35 +0:05 1.23 -2 3.29 -18 97%
New York, NY 7:32 -0:11 1.39 0 3.24 -3 94%
Oklahoma City, OK 2:50 -0:20 1.15 0 1.92 +2 96%
Orlando, FL 3:57 -0:11 1.19 +1 2.26 -24 99%
Philadelphia, PA 5:53 -0:18 1.27 -4 2.76 -22 97%
Phoenix, AZ 2:45 -0:04 1.23 +1 2.26 -14 96%
Pittsburgh, PA 6:04 +0:09 1.26 -2 3.09 -7 95%
Portland, OR 6:47 -0:08 1.48 +2 3.35 -21 96%
Providence, RI 5:17 -0:11 1.22 +2 2.66 +20 94%
Raleigh, NC 2:12 0:00 1.15 +2 2.06 +7 97%
Richmond, VA 2:57 -0:05 1.09 0 1.78 -2 96%
Riverside-San Bern., CA 5:52 -0:38 1.30 +2 2.31 +6 98%
Rochester, NY 3:26 -0:14 1.12 +1 2.08 +4 85%
Sacramento, CA 4:16 -0:09 1.28 +4 2.38 -10 96%
Salt Lake City, UT 3:03 -0:08 1.15 +1 1.93 -16 97%
San Antonio, TX 2:42 -0:43 1.23 -1 2.30 -11 98%
San Diego, CA 4:27 -0:22 1.34 +2 2.87 -4 95%
San Francisco, CA 7:09 -0:09 1.51 +4 3.50 -1 95%
San Jose, CA 6:01 -0:07 1.53 +6 3.72 0 94%
San Juan, PR 3:31 -0:14 1.48 -4 2.79 -6 46%
Seattle, WA 6:50 -0:19 1.45 -2 3.21 -16 95%
St. Louis, MO 2:49 -0:16 1.14 -1 2.07 -4 97%
Tampa, FL 3:42 -0:41 1.22 +1 2.42 -37 94%
Virginia Beach, VA 4:23 -0:43 1.20 -2 2.54 -25 95%
Washington, DC 6:32 -0:28 1.44 -3 3.18 -30 96%

Notes:
Blue bolded values (with – sign) indicate improving conditions; red italics (with + sign) indicate worsening conditions.
Comparison of 2015 to 2014 is for the same three-month period (July - September).
% Complete Data compares the reported congestion data for that MSA to what should have been available for the designated roads and time periods.

For More Information

Please contact Rich Taylor at rich.taylor@dot.gov.