ALDOT Statewide TSMO Strategic Plan ALDOT Statewide TSMO Strategic Plan 20190522 | Page 9

Congestion continues to increase annually as the increase in vehicle miles traveled (VMT) outpaces the
growth of public road mileage (TTI, 2015). VMT in Alabama is increasing at a greater rate than public road
mileage length for the state. Travel demand is outstripping the supply despite a focus on increasing
capacity through infrastructure projects. In Alabama over the last sixteen years, VMT has grown 23% while
public road mileage has only grown by 8%.
Birmingham, Huntsville,
Mobile, and Montgomery
commuters spend an
average of 34, 23, 30, and
24 hours per year, stuck
in traffic.
Congestion on roadways costs commuters, freight drivers,
service providers, and the public time and money. In 2014,
congestion cost Americans $160 billion (TTI, 2015). Studies
indicate that drivers in the urban areas of Birmingham,
Huntsville, Mobile, and Montgomery spend 34, 23, 30, and 24
hours per year, stuck in traffic, respectively (TTI, 2015).
Nationally, congestion caused an extra 6.9 billion hours of
travel in 2014 which resulted in a cost of $960 to the average
commuter in 2014 (TTI, 2015).
Likewise, congestion is a significant problem for freight industry nationally and specifically, Alabama. The
value of freight flow in Alabama was 386.6 billion in 2013 with 531.5 million tons of freight flow and 189.9
billion miles of freight flow (BTS, 2015). Alabama has two major water ports, Guntersville and Mobile,
which includes ports ranked in the top 150 ports by tonnage in 2013 and has nine major airports (BTS,
2015). National truck operations experienced 18% (or $28 billion cost) of the congestion delay in 2014
(TTI, 2015). Not surprisingly, a goal of the 2017 Alabama Statewide Freight Plan is to reduce congestion
and improve reliability on the National Multimodal Freight Network (NMFN) to improve safety and
economic competitiveness (ALDOT, 2017).
In addition to the financial costs related to mobility concerns, research has shown a direct correlation
between physical and mental wellbeing and congestion. Higher commute times have been linked to
decreased energy, increased stress, and higher illness-related work absence. And those that experience
congested driving have increased stress and frustration. Simply stated, safety and mobility have significant
financial and wellness costs to the citizens of Alabama.
Congestion on roadways creates significant costs to commuters, freight drivers, service
providers, and the public in the form of time, money, and wellness deterioration—Alabamians
have a serious challenge.
3.1.3 Transportation Funding
As noted in ALDOT’s 2017 Statewide Transportation Plan, annual revenues for transportation
improvements averaged approximately $1.5 billion. In Alabama, roughly one-third of transportation
revenues ($490 million) come from state sources, with the remaining two-thirds from Federal Aid,
highway bonds, and other sources; gas excise and motor fuel taxes generate 70% ($341 million) of state
revenues.
6