Chicago and its six surrounding counties — Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake , McHenry and Will — squander an estimated $7.3 billion a year in wasted time and fuel, and environmental damages due to excess traffic congestion on its expressways and arterials. If nothing is done, that amount is predicted to grow by about 55 percent by 2030, more than twice as fast as the region’s population, to $11.3 billion a year.
Eliminating excess road congestion in the region would create an estimated 87,000 jobs that today are lost due to labor and transportation costs.
Congestion also slows the region’s economy by adding 22 percent to peak period travel times. In fact, while climbing gas prices are hurting individuals across Chicagoland, people may be surprised to learn lost time is costing them 19.5 times more than wasted fuel.
$7.3 billion
-Cost of congestion to the Chicago region per year
87,000
-Number of jobs the region would add by eliminating excess congestion
22%
-Percent increase in peak travel time as a result of congested traffic conditions
With $7.3 billion you could…
-Put 292,000 students through four years of undergraduate education at the
University of Illinois at Chicago .
-Completely fund the total budget for the City of Chicago for the next two
years.
-Build seven Olympic Villages.
-Build eight CTA Red Line extensions and have enough money left to give the
first 282,666,666 people a free ride (with two transfers!).
Congestion impairs the region’s ability to compete globally
Metropolitan Chicago is a major national and international hub for air, rail, ship, and truck-borne freight, but congestion is slowing the movement of goods through the six-county area. The region’s freight sector alone loses approximately $1 billion a year to wasted time. Meanwhile, Chicagoland forfeits some 87,000 jobs that could be created if we had more attractive transportation networks.
Congestion is a regionwide problem requiring regional solutions
Each county contributes to the total regional cost of congestion and contributes to gridlock on expressways and arterial roads. Congestion is heaviest on Chicago ’s expressways, but much of that traffic originates in the surrounding counties. Within the outlying counties, traffic jams on arterial routes are much heavier, and because of lower vehicle speeds, arterial congestion contributes much more to regional air pollution.
Congestion reduces quality of life for individuals and families
In 2005, wasted fuel cost regional households an estimated $354 million; dramatic increases in gas prices since then have driven that figure closer to $680 million. Lost time costs individuals even more: a trip that should take only 30 minutes may take closer to 40, resulting in approximately 66 minutes of wasted time each week for the average driver.
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