Research findings show Los Angeles ranks first among the top 101 urban areas for delay per commuter in 2024
Angelenos are losing more time and money on their commutes than previous years, per a new report.
According to Texas A&M Transportation Institute’s (TTI) latest Urban Mobility Report, the average commuter in L.A. in 2024 wasted 137 hours or about three work weeks sitting in traffic and lost $3,935 in productivity and wasted gas due to congestion. Overall, L.A. ranks first among the top urban areas for total traffic delay in 2024.
The report, sponsored by the Texas Department of Transportation, was first published in 1987 and builds on several decades of tracking congestion trends in the U.S. It documents “how roadway congestion has become a persistent challenge, especially in regions with strong economies and steady population growth.”
But it’s not just L.A. Americans lost an average of 63 hours sitting in traffic in 2024, which is the highest level measured, according to the institute. That’s the equivalent of nearly eight full workdays lost to traffic and marks a 16% increase in national congestion costs over the past five years, now totaling $269 billion annually.
Researchers found that delays have spread from the traditional weekday rush hours to midday, midweek and weekends.
“The numbers show more traffic than we’ve ever seen, but also a different kind of traffic,” said David Schrank, TTI senior research scientist and lead author of the study, in a press release. “Hybrid work capabilities, online shopping and other changes in our daily lives have reshaped when and where congestion happens. This can create more unpredictability and make travel harder to plan.”
In L.A., a trip that should take 20 minutes required consumers to plan for 56 minutes to arrive at their destination on time. The city experiences 7.5 hours of congestion each day, according to the report.
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Truck-based congestion costs in L.A. also increased in 2024, with the city ranking number one for total truck delay. Commercial trucks in the city lost more than $3 billion and wasted 45 million gallons of gas in 2024 because of congestion.
Based on the 2025 report, researchers provided multiple recommendations, including low-cost operation improvements, capacity expansions, technology integration and developments that align with changing travel behaviors.
“Congestion is a fact of life in thriving regions,” Schrank said. “This year’s numbers challenge us to think differently about travel. Why are people on the road? Can we shift some of that demand, or give travelers more reliable options? We’re getting the tools and data to answer those questions and act on them in ways we couldn’t before.”
A recent addition for commuters in L.A. is the Metro’s D-line extension, which expanded subway service west along Wilshire Blvd. in three sections to improve travel between L.A. and the Westside ahead of the World Cup this summer and Olympic Games in 2028. Metro officials say the travel time from Union Station to Beverly Hills is about 21 minutes.