Cross Bronx Westbound Has Worst Bottleneck in U.S., Survey Finds
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
Frustrated travelers on the Cross Bronx Expressway will be gratified to learn that their commute can’t get any worse.
A survey released yesterday by the navigation data company INRIX found that, of the 10 worst bottlenecks in America, five are in New York and four are in New Jersey, with the Cross Bronx Expressway westbound in first place. This stretch is congested 94 hours each week, during which time travel speed averages 9.8 miles an hour.
In terms of overall traffic, New York City is no. 2, falling just behind Los Angeles for the ignominious distinction of most congested.
Despite soaring gas prices, New York regional congestion continues to increase, topping the lists again with a 6.5% increase in driving time congestion since 2006, far above the national 1.9% increase.
For the least traffic congestion, data suggests traveling on Monday afternoons or on Fridays between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. The worst hour to travel is Friday between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m.
The vice president of communications for INRIX, Michele Large, said the company collects data via GPS-enabled vehicles. The survey was compiled between 2006 and 2008, but INRIX plans to release new findings every six months.
