And it's probably worse because this study came out before they closed that section of I-96.

In 1988, drivers in Grand Rapids wasted about 16 hours a year in traffic, but a recent study conducted by the Texas A & M Transportation Institute, that number jumped to 41 hours a year in 2017, the latest year data was available.

Think about it, that's almost two full days of just sitting there revving your engine. Now, I realize that listening to my show during those hours makes it seem more bearable, but no one likes traffic.

The cost of sitting in traffic is high as well, as it cost GR drivers an average of $654 in wasted gas and time.

Compare that to just 13 years ago, in 2006, when the average time wasted was just 35 hours a week at a cost of $526. I don't even want to know what the delays for 2019 will be, because that I-96 closure sure has messed up the morning commute.

However, in the end, things aren't terribly bad in Grand Rapids when compared to nearby large cities like Detroit and Chicago, according to WOOD-TV. Those cities wasted 61 and 73 hours respectively in 2017.

 

 

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