(Washington, DC) — A new study shows that the Washington, DC area is tied with Chicago for the worst traffic congestion . According to the annual national traffic survey done by the Texas Transportation Institute, Washington ranks first in the nation when it comes to hours wasted in traffic, with the average driver losing 70 hours a year, or nearly three full days. Los Angeles, which is well-known for it’s traffic congestion, comes in third with 63-hours. According to the “Washington Post,” there may be a bright side to all the delays. Ron Kirby, transportation planning director for the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, says it could mean that the Washington area has not been as hard hit by the recession and is doing a bit better than other places when it comes to job growth and the economy. The report estimates that congestion cost Americans about 115-billion-dollars in 2009, up from an adjusted 24-billion in 1982.
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