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Freight Bottlenecks Cost U.S. Economy $42B in 2019
Freight bottlenecks cost the U.S. economy more than $42 billion in 2019, a hidden tax on the American people that is only likely to increase as the country fully opens, according to a review of Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) data. The American Road and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) study “Throttled: The Economic Costs of Freight Bottlenecks” also shows that freight shipments suffered almost 660 million hours of delay on the nation’s roadways.
“Our examination brings into sharp focus the continued costs of congestion on America’s highway network,” said Alison Premo Black, ARTBA chief economist. “Legislation to address freight mobility through increased federal transportation investment would help alleviate these bottlenecks, increase business productivity and power the economy for the next generation.”
Key Findings:
- New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Austin, Houston, Nashville, San Francisco, Seattle, Philadelphia and Atlanta are among cities hardest hit by freight bottlenecks.
- The cost of congestion on the Interstate Highway System alone has grown 25 percent in the last two years from $12 billion in 2017 to more than $15 billion in 2019.
- The cost of congestion on the top 10 bottlenecks increased by 11 percent in just one year from $761.8 million in 2018 to $848.4 million in 2019.
- ◦Economy
- ◦Policy/Gov't
