It's Official: Traffic in the Bay Area Got Worse This Year

On a morning when the East Bay commute has been a nightmare (thanks to a drywall spill and an overturned truck) it's fitting we bring you this news: Traffic has only gotten worse in recent years with the booming economy. A new report released yesterday from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission confirmed that traffic—which it defines as time spent moving at 35 miles per hour or less—is currently at record levels in the region. The average congested delay on a per-commuter basis is now 40 percent higher than it was back in 2010.

Despite the increase in congestion, the percentage of workers commuting by car is decreasing, with an increasing share taking transit. A majority of residents in both San Francisco and Berkeley now no longer use their cars to get to work. The report also ranked the 10 most congested freeways in the Bay Area, with westbound I-80 between Hercules and Oakland moving up three spots from the previous year to top the list. The full list is below:

1. Morning commute on Westbound I-80 between Hercules and Oakland
2. Morning commute on southbound I-880 between San Leandro and Milpitas
3. Afternoon commute on southbound U.S. 101 from Fair Oaks Avenue in Sunnyvale to Oakland Road in North San Jose
4. Afternoon commute on eastbound U.S. 101 and I-80 from I-280 in San Francisco to the Bay Bridge
5. Afternoon commute northbound on I-680 from San Ramon to Pleasant Hill
6. Northbound I-680 commute over the Sunol Grade from Mission Blvd in Fremont to State Route 84 in Sunol
7. Afternoon commute on eastbound I-80 from the Bay Bridge toll plaza area to Albany
8. Morning westbound commute on I-205 and I-580 over the Altamonte Pass to Dublin
9. Afternoon commute on eastbound State Route 24 from the I-580 interchange in Oakland through the Caldecott Tunnel to Orinda
10. Morning commute on northbound U.S. 101 from Story Road in East San Jose to Montague Expressway in Santa Clara

· Fresh Data on Bay Area's Vital Signs Include New Top 10 List for Freeway Congestion [Metropolitan Transportation Commission]