The traffic-clogged Washington area will see a 50 percent increase in congestion over the next 25 to 30 years despite being one of the nation’s mass-transit success stories, according to a new report.
A nationwide infrastructure analysis by the Urban Land Institute found that the Washington area — which is expected to see a 23 percent growth in population — will see a bigger increase in mass-transit use than any other metropolitan region in the country, but that the region is financially unprepared for the crunch of drivers it will feel on its highways.
The area is focused on long-range transit planning at the expense of needed road improvements, the report said.
The Washington region spends about $1.4 billion a year on transit and $1.5 billion on highways. That ratio is expected to shift, with transit funding jumping to $2.5 billion a year and highway funding staying almost stagnant at $1.6 billion, the report said.
“I’d say D.C.’s doing probably OK on transit, it’s not doing as well on keeping up with the highway traffic growth,” said Bob Duphy, one of the authors of the “Infrastructure 2008” report.
Transit is expected to increase from a 13 percent share of commuting today to 17 percent 25 years from now, and “half of regional growth is expected in outer counties not well served by transit,” according to the report.
The Washington area currently ties with Atlanta and San Francisco for the ranking of second in the nation in traffic congestion, trailing only Los Angeles.
Washington drivers spend an average of 60 hours a year sitting in traffic, up from 16 hours in 1984, according to the 2007 Urban Mobility Report.
The ULI infrastructure report said funding shortages may force the Washington area to rely on public-private partnerships for future road projects, a measure that opponents have said allows private companies to control public resources such as toll roads with few controls.
The area already is using the partnerships for the planned Dulles Rail expansion and the high-occupancy toll lanes planned for the Capital Beltway.
Despite its challenges, Washington is projected to face less onerous challenges than other large metro areas.
Congestion is projected to more than double for Phoenix and Houston and jump 71 percent in Orlando, Fla., according to the report.
