DC tops list of nation's worst traffic

DC gridlock is not just a metaphor, according to a study by Texas A & M Transportation Institute.

Rankings of the nation’s most congested cities vary slightly from year to year, and many of this year’s top 10 are repeat performers. Washington, D.C. tops the list, followed by Los Angeles, San Francisco-Oakland, New York-Newark and Boston.

And they aren’t kidding when they say congestion.

PTIs (planning time index) on freeways vary widely across the nation, from 1.31 (about nine extra minutes for a trip that takes 30 minutes in light traffic) in Pensacola, Florida, to 5.72 (almost three hours for that same half-hour trip) in Washington, D.C., according to the study by TTI, a member of The Texas A&M University System.

The big take away message: stay outta DC.