News

New Study Estimates Costs of Traffic Congestion

New research by the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis at the School of Public Health estimates that the additional fine particulate matter emissions that can be traced back to traffic congestion in the nation’s 83 largest urban areas lead to more than 2,200 premature deaths in the U.S. last year. The related public health cost, researchers say, was, conservatively, at least $18 billion. The study, “The Public Health Costs of Traffic Congestion: A Health Risk Assessment,” was published in the scientific journal “Environmental Health.” It is the first to attempt to quantify the public health implications of growing traffic congestion in America. The study was supported through a grant underwritten by the Transportation Construction Coalition (TCC), which includes 29 national associations and labor unions and is co-chaired by AGC. Read the full press release here. The news was covered by the Omaha World-Herald, Denver Business Journal and Birmingham Business Journal.