Fixing Washington Area's Worst Traffic Bottlenecks Would Yield $34.5B
13 April 2000
Fixing Washington Area's Worst Traffic Bottlenecks Would Yield $34.5 Billion in Economic Benefits, Study Finds American Highway Users Alliance Documents Savings in
Personal Time, Commercial Time, Fuel, Safety and Environment
WASHINGTON, April 13 A report released today by the
American Highway Users Alliance finds that Washington-area residents and
commuters would reap a total of $34.5 billion in economic benefits if needed
improvements were made to the four worst traffic bottlenecks in the area.
Completing improvements to all four bottlenecks would result in individual
savings for commuters using the bottlenecks of up to $1,353 per year,
according to the report.
The four bottlenecks are Washington I-495 (Capital Beltway) at the I-270
Interchange, I-95 at the I-495 Springfield Interchange ("The Mixing Bowl"), I-
95 at the I-495 Interchange in Maryland and I-66 at the I-495 (Capital
Beltway) Interchange. Work is currently underway on I-95 at the I-495
Springfield Interchange.
At a time when consumers are feeling the pinch of both the April 15 tax
deadline and soaring gas prices, the data from the Highway Users' report shows
the value of investing in improving America's traffic bottlenecks. The study
details the substantial payoff to businesses and consumers from completing
congestion-busting highway projects - not only in gas savings, but also in
reduced environmental emissions, fewer traffic accidents, and time savings.
The report, Saving Time, Saving Money: The Economics of Unclogging
America's Worst Bottlenecks, assesses the economic impact of the impressive
gains from bottleneck improvements identified in Unclogging America's
Arteries: Prescriptions for Healthier Highways, a 1999 report performed by
Cambridge Systematics for the Highway Users. According to the report, Saving
Time, Saving Money "gives transportation officials, policy makers and the
public a clearer understanding of the significant social and economic rewards
to be reaped by improving traffic flow at key choke points."
Unclogging America's Arteries identified and analyzed 166 different
bottlenecks in America, and included four in the Washington area in its list
of the 17 worst bottlenecks in the country. Saving Time, Saving Money has
taken those findings the next step and assigned monetary values to the time
and fuel savings, safety improvements and environmental benefits.
"This report shows that traffic bottlenecks in the area aren't just a
nuisance, but a major drain on Washington's economy and the personal
productivity of our citizens," said Bill Fay, President and CEO of the
American Highway Users Alliance. "With so much to be gained, we need to find
a way to speed up these improvements so that we all can begin reaping these
benefits."
The report points out that commuters and citizens nationwide would enjoy
more than $336 billion in economic benefits from improvements to the nation's
worst bottlenecks. The average commuter traveling through one of these 166
worst bottlenecks twice each workday could expect to save approximately $345
each year in time and fuel alone, if improvements were made.
"We need to move quickly to fix these bottlenecks," Fay said. "The
opportunity cost of delays -- in wasted time and fuel, highway accidents, and
tailpipe emissions that could be avoided if improvements were completed now
rather than later -- is staggering." The report estimates that a three-year
delay in undertaking needed improvements to the 166 bottlenecks yields an
opportunity cost of nearly $30 billion.
"The good news, however," Fay continued, "is that there's hope for curing
congestion on our highways -- which will save lives, improve the environment
and create more free time to spend with our families and friends."
Note: The attached fact sheet provides a breakdown of the savings from
improvements to the Washington, DC area traffic bottlenecks. Details on the
methodology for deriving the figures are included in the report, which is
available at http://www.highways.org.
WASHINGTON FACT SHEET
From "Saving Time, Saving Money"
American Highway Users Alliance Study
April 13, 2000
Bottleneck descriptions at a glance
I-495, the Capital Beltway, is the beltway for the Washington, DC, area,
crossing through both Maryland and Virginia. I-270 terminates where it meets
I-495 and runs northwest to Frederick, Maryland. It is a major commuter
corridor that has experienced-and is expected to continue experiencing-rapid
growth. I-270 has two "branches" where it intersects with I-495; the western
branch is the I-270 spur, which connects with I-495 more than two miles from
the main interchange of I-495 and I-270. Even with this bifurcation, traffic
volumes at the I-495/I-270 interchange are extremely high. The problem is
compounded by the nearby interchange of Wisconsin Avenue (SR-355).
Known locally as the Mixing Bowl (for its complex configuration of ramps
and traffic movements), the Springfield interchange is located about 10 miles
south of downtown Washington, DC. I-95, a major intercity corridor, intersects
with I-495 (the Capital Beltway), and the two interstates continue together
eastward into Maryland. Nearby, I-395 (Shirley Highway) takes traffic from I-
95 and I-495 north into Washington, DC. The Springfield interchange was built
in 1964 with the construction of the Capital Beltway. Since that time, the
area has undergone rapid development, which has contributed significantly to
congestion.
I-66 is a major commuter route in the Washington, DC, area. West of the I-
495 interchange, it includes an HOV lane in each direction; east of the
interchange, the entire four-lane facility is HOV in the peak direction during
the peak period of travel. Even with HOV implemented, traffic volumes are very
high in the vicinity of the interchange.
I-95 meets the Capital Beltway (I-495) in Virginia and tracks with it
eastward into Maryland. At a point roughly 180 degrees from where it entered
the Beltway, I-95 veers off northward to Baltimore. The coincident section of
I-95 and I-495 carries a high-volume mix of interstate and commuter traffic.
At a point just before I-95 veers off northward, the total number of lanes on
the coincident section is reduced from eight to five, leading to extensive
congestion.
Savings from improvements
Listed below are the total economic benefits to be derived from
improvements to Washington's four worst bottlenecks. The economic values
listed for each of the bottlenecks are cumulative over the construction period
and the 20-year useful life of the project. The "individual savings" identify
the amount that a typical commuter traveling through the bottleneck twice each
workday would save in time and fuel.
I-495 (Capital Beltway) at the I-270 Interchange
Personal Time Savings: $7.4 billion
Commercial Time Savings: $3.1 billion
Fuel Savings: $1.1 billion
Safety Savings: $820 million
Environmental Savings: $590 million (greenhouse gases); $290 million
(air pollution)
Total Savings: $13.3 billion
Individual Savings: $1,353/year for a typical commuter
I-95 at the I-495 Springfield Interchange ("The Mixing Bowl")
Personal Time Savings: $5.6 billion
Commercial Time Savings: $2.4 billion
Fuel Savings: $850 million
Safety Savings: $590 million
Environmental Savings: $440 million (greenhouse gases); $150 million
(air pollution)
Total Savings: $10 billion
Individual Savings: $959/year for a typical commuter
I-66 at the I-495 (Capital Beltway) Interchange
Personal Time Savings: $2.8 billion
Commercial Time Savings: $1.2 billion
Fuel Savings: $430 million
Safety Savings: $400 million
Environmental Savings: $220 million (greenhouse gases); $95 million
(air pollution)
Total Savings: $5.1 billion
Individual Savings: $790/year for a typical commuter
I-95 at the I-495 Interchange
Personal Time Savings: $3.4 billion
Commercial Time Savings: $1.4 billion
Fuel Savings: $520 million
Safety Savings: $410 million
Environmental Savings: $270 million (greenhouse gases); $130 million
(air pollution)
Total Savings: $6.1 billion
Individual Savings: $1,064/year for a typical commuter
