Write Up:

Recurring congestion comes at regular times, although the traffic jams are not necessarily consistent day-to-day. Nonrecurring congestion is an unexpected traffic crash or natural disaster that effects 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 to 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 2019 to 2022 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 2022 target for statewide congestion cost was $463 million. The actual calculation from the Regional Integrated Transportation Information System data for 2022 was $410 million. A significant reduction in travel occurred in 2022 due to record fuel costs. This led to a 14% reduction in vehicle miles traveled and $40 million less in congestion costs when compared to 2021.  

Total congestion costs decreased $40 million when all measured areas are considered.  Motorists continue to utilize hybrid and remote work arrangements; congestion patterns have not stabilized in the urban centers. 

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 TTI, 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.