California highways seeing record traffic, bucking years of decline

[cpzilliacus]

Sacramento Bee: California highways seeing record traffic, bucking years of decline

California's highways are experiencing record traffic as the economy improves and gas prices plummet, reversing the declines of the recession, new state figures show.

Drivers traveled about 185 billion miles on state highways from December 2013 through November 2014, up almost 5 billion miles, or 2.6 percent, from the prior year, according to estimates from the California Department of Transportation. That's the largest traffic jump since 2003.

Typically, California's traffic flow is considered an indicator of economic well-being — with bad traffic often accompanying a strong economy. Before the recession, commute-hour jams correlated with a prolonged boom in hiring and housing construction. More jobs mean more people driving to work, more people buying cars and more people willing to spend on travel.

Conversely, the free-flowing commutes of the recession were the natural outgrowth of furloughs, layoffs and a stalled economy that meant fewer construction and delivery trucks on the road.

[Desert Man]

More jobs and lower gas prices play a role in rising traffic in CA. Which can be a good thing, except it's going to be hell driving on a freeway in the L.A. metro and SF Bay areas.