The Number

The worst stretch of commuter freeway in the nation is the 101 Freeway from Woodland Hills to downtown Los Angeles, according to a study released in July by the Auto Insurance Center. Minutes to drive downtown from Topanga Boulevard The Florida-based news and research organization estimates that the 26-mile trip starting at the Topanga Canyon Boulevard on-ramp and ending at Vignes Street takes 91 minutes at peak rush hour. The average speed is just 17 miles an hour. The second-worst commute? It’s essentially the same trip in the opposite direction. From Soto Street downtown to Haskell Street in Encino takes 70 minutes moving at 19 miles an hour. The center calculated those travel times from data sensors that record traffic speed every 15 minutes. The study found the worst time to head downtown is Wednesday at 8 a.m.; the second-worst home-bound drive to the Valley is Wednesday at 6 p.m. Presumably, a commuter – or a businessperson who makes an occasional trip downtown – could lessen the distress by avoiding those peak times. “The average American commuter loses 42 hours a year to snarled traffic. That means a full workweek every year – 10 months total during an average career – is spent driving to and from work,” the study stated. By comparison, the average L.A. commuter loses 80 hours a year, or two full weeks, the study found. Titled “Jammed: The Cost of Traffic Congestion,” the study also looked at the financial impact of congestion. The average commuter in Los Angeles loses $1,711 every year because of lost time in traffic. The average driver nationally loses $960. “Long commutes are frustrating – and depending on where you live and how long you drive, they can also be awfully hard on your wallet,” the study authors wrote. – Joel Russell