Annual study shows cities losing the race against traffic gridlock growth

In the effort to catch up with the effects of traffic congestion, American cities are falling farther behind with each passing year, according to 20-year trends announced on Tuesday.

The 2004 Urban Mobility Report, published by the Texas Transportation Institute, shows traffic congestion growing across the nation in cities of all sizes, consuming more hours of the day, and affecting more travelers and shipments of goods than ever before. We can only expect more of the same, say the studys authors.'We can see pretty clearly what 20 years of almost continuous economic growth can do to us,' says Tim Lomax, one of the study's authors. 'If we're lucky enough to sustain this growth and the funding levels and options do not increase from current trends, we shouldn't be surprised if we see even more congestion.

You can find the full report online at here