Write Up:

Although traffic jams are not necessarily consistent day to day, recurring congestion comes at regular times. Nonrecurring congestion from an unexpected traffic crash or natural disaster negatively affects traffic flow. When either form of congestion occurs, the time required for a given trip becomes unpredictable. This unreliability is costly for commuters and truck drivers moving goods which results in higher prices for consumers.  

While the desired trend for both costs is downward, challenges exist in Missouri’s metropolitan regions and major truck freight corridors that continue to threaten this positive outcome. A comprehensive look at congestion that goes beyond typical solutions of adding capacity is needed. Using smarter technology to help guide motorists is a must. Still, the desired outcome is to lower congestion costs and demonstrate that traffic is moving more efficiently. 

This report looks at the 2021 to 2024 cost of congestion in the urban areas of Kansas City and St. Louis, as well as rural I-44 and I-70 across the state. The 2024 target for statewide congestion cost was $605 million. The actual calculation from the Regional Integrated Transportation Information System data for 2024 was $749 million. Congestion costs continue to increase in both the urban areas of Kansas City and St. Louis, and along rural segments of I-70 and I-44. Total congestion costs in 2024 increased $57 million when all measured areas are considered when compared to 2023. Vehicle miles travelled are shown to have a slight increase from 2023 to 2024 according to Regional Integrated Transportation Information System data.

Purpose of the Measure:

This measure tracks the annual cost and impact of traffic congestion to motorists for user delays and vehicle miles traveled on select routes in the St. Louis and Kansas City regions as well as rural sections of Interstates 44 and 70.   

Measurement and Data Collection:

A reporting tool available in the Regional Integrated Transportation Information System looks at user delay costs. This data, in combination with industry standard costs for passenger cars and trucks, reflects the overall costs of congestion. RITIS also includes historic data so trend lines can be tracked and evaluated. The unit cost per passenger car is $19.64 per hour and is obtained from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. The unit cost per truck is $66.87 obtained from the American Transportation Research Institute, which specializes in tracking freight mobility and provides the best source of data related to freight costs. For previous reporting, the department used data provided by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute, which annually produces the Urban Mobility Report. The target for this measure is updated annually in April and is established by projecting a 10% improvement over a four-year average.