Congestion
Traffic congestion is best described using visual imagery. Imagine a highway full of cars, trucks, SUVs, buses, and tractor-trailers, all bumper to bumper with the glow of red taillights illuminating the roadway. According to the US Department of Transportation, “congestion usually relates to an excess of vehicles on a portion of roadway at a particular time resulting in speeds that are slower—sometimes much slower—than normal or "free flow" speeds.”. (Ahmed et al., 2023) Congestion has many different causes, all of which involve outside factors or the drivers themselves.
Rush Hour
Rush hour is defined as “a period of the day when the demands especially of traffic or business are at a peak”. (Merriam-Webster Dictionary, 2023) According the US Department of Transportation, rush hour or “peak-period” traffic has grown 34 percent since 1982. (Castillo, 2023) Rush hour is the time that everyone is going/leaving to work or school and trying to get a quick bite to eat. Congestion ruins rush hour by requiring drivers to wait hours after they get off work before they can go home.
Rush Hour Across the Country
Rush hour statistics
Time Spent
Accidents
Population
