Reprinted from BikeDFW.org with permission.

The Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metroplex is in a tie with Houston for the second worst traffic congestion in the country according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) of the US Department of Transportation. Only the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana metro area in California is worse. Here’s an excerpt from the recently released State Transportation Statistics Report (note: most recent data are from 2007).

DFW traffic congestion caused a delay of 32 hours a year per person for the entire population, not just drivers, at an estimated cost of $641 each or a total waste of $2.8 billion!

Even if we could afford to build more highways, the results of these massively expensive projects would be more cars, increased gas consumption, and increased air pollution with minimal impact on traffic congestion. Electric vehicles could reduce gas consumption and pollution, but they won’t help traffic congestion one bit.

Still think automobiles are the answer for a sustainable future? We don’t! That’s why BikeDFW wants to raise awareness of bicycling as part of the solution to our long-term transportation needs in North Texas. When coupled with public transit and multi-modal transportation (i.e., using the train and a bicycle on the same trip) bicycling can not only reduce gas consumption and pollution, but also reduce traffic congestion. (Not to mention that riding a bike is a lot more fun than sitting in rush-hour traffic.)

Our hope is that people will start using a bicycle for utility trips (especially for those less than three miles). Doesn’t it make sense to use a 20 pound vehicle and get some exercise instead of a 4,000 pound vehicle and a gallon of gas to make a quick trip to the store (or a restaurant, or a movie)?

Contact BikeDFW at webadmin@bikedfw.org if you’d like information about bike commuting or are interested in bike safety courses that can make you more comfortable riding in traffic.

The full BTS report can be downloaded and viewed at http://www.bts.gov/publications/state_transportation_statistics/state_transportation_statistics_2009/pdf/entire.pdf