Today, transportation congestion represents a serious
threat to the U.S. national economy and affects virtually
every aspect of our lives—where we live, where we work,
where we shop, and how much we pay for goods and
services. According to the Texas Transportation Institute,
road congestion annually results in 3.7 billion hours of
travel delay and 2.3 billion gallons of wasted fuel. Whether
it’s trucks stalled in traffic, cargo stuck at overwhelmed seaports,
or airplanes circling over crowded airports, congestion
costs Americans an estimated $200 billion a year, according
to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). More
importantly, it robs us of productivity and one of our most
valuable resources: time. DOT has recognized the effects
of congestion and has begun to focus resources and devise
innovative approaches to reverse the effects of system
congestion while also forging a vision of a transportation
system for the 21st century.