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Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Fuel Wasted in Traffic Congestion

July 27, 2009

The researchers at the Texas Transportation Institute have recently published new estimates of the effects of traffic congestion. Nearly 3 billion gallons of fuel is wasted each year due to traffic congestion. In 2007, the amount of wasted fuel declined slightly due to an overall decline in vehicle miles traveled when fuel prices skyrocketed. The wasted fuel amounts to 1.6% of total highway fuel use in 2007.

Total Fuel Wasted Due to Congestion, 1982-2007

Total Fuel Wasted Due to Congestion, 1982-2007

Source

Texas Transportation Institute, 2009 Urban Mobility Report, July 2009.