Long Island Drivers Lose $1.9 Billion in Lost Time Annually, TRIP Says

The high level of traffic congestion on Long Island hampers the region’s economic competitiveness and impacts quality of life in the area, according to a new report released today by TRIP, a national transportation research nonprofit.

The report, "Keeping Long Island Mobile: Accomplishments and Challenges in Improving Accessibility on Long Island to Support Quality of Life and a Strong Economy," examines the mobility and efficiency of the region’s transportation system and identifies improvements needed to enhance access.

Traffic congestion on Long Island results in 93 million hours of delay to occupants of private vehicles and large commercial trucks and costs drivers $1.9 billion annually in the form of lost time and 41.5 million gallons of additional fuel.

TRIP estimates the average Long Island commuter annually spends an additional 81 hours annually stuck in traffic due to congestion and loses $1,684 in the value of wasted time and fuel. Daily rush hour vehicle hours of delay on Long Island are projected to increase by 57 percent by 2045.

According to the report, by 2045, Long Island’s population is projected to increase 14 percent and daily vehicle travel during rush hour on Long Island is anticipated to increase 13 percent.

Long Island commuters overwhelmingly use private vehicles for commuting, with 74 percent indicating they drove alone as their means of transportation to work and eight percent indicating they used carpools. Most New York metro trips that originate in Nassau or Suffolk County terminate at destinations on Long Island, with 73 remaining in the same county and 24 percent traveling to other locations on Long Island (including Queens and Brooklyn).

Source: TRIP