It may not seem like it when you’re stuck for 30 minutes at the same intersection during your evening commute, but San Antonio traffic ain’t so bad, according to a new study. At least not in comparison to other big Texas cities.
Residents of the Alamo City wasted an average of 36 hours last year sitting in traffic, according to analysis from location technology company TomTom. That means SA is only the 41st-most congested city in the U.S. and the fifth-most congested city in the Lone Star State.
So, yay us. Or something.
While 36 hours may seem like serious lost time, it’s minuscule compared to the 80 hours spent in gridlock by New Yorkers, who have the worst traffic in the U.S., according to TomTom. Los Angeles is No. 2 and and Miami is No. 3.
No Texas cities ranked in the top 10. Not even Houston.
Speaking of the Bayou City, however, it did rank as having the worst traffic in Texas and at No. 16 nationally. Residents there spent an average of 46 hours in traffic last year.
Here’s how other Texas cities fared in the report:
- Houston: No. 1 in Texas, No. 16 in U.S.
- McCallen: No. 2 in Texas, No. 18 in U.S.
- Austin: No. 3 in Texas, No. 21 in U.S.
- Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex: No. 4 in Texas, No. 37 in U.S.
- San Antonio: No. 5 in Texas, No. 41 in U.S.
- El Paso — No. 6 in Texas, No. 44 in U.S.
So, next time you complain about traffic while merging onto Interstate 35 — recently ranked one of America’s most dangerous roads — during rush hour, keep in mind that things could be worse. Much worse.
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This article appears in Feb 23 – Mar 8, 2022.
