ConsumerAffairs released a new report on holiday traffic, and Florida showed up three times, including the number one city in the country. Here are the top five:
- Tampa, Florida
- Birmingham, Alabama
- St. Louis, Missouri
- Cleveland, Ohio
- Phoenix, Arizona
Tampa landed at number one because congestion jumps 36% heading into the holidays. Drivers average 27.6 miles a day, and the city has 21 fatal crashes per 1 million people on clear days, which is one of the highest rates in the country.
Orlando ranked number fifteen. Their congestion increases 12.21%, and the holiday traffic surge reaches 23.63%. They also report 17.68 clear day crashes per 1 million people.
Now let’s talk about Miami, because this is home and we feel it the most.
Miami averages 5 hours and 56 minutes of congestion a day during the holiday season. Our congestion still rises 8.54% from fall into winter, and our holiday surge is 23.63%. The city reports 14.87 fatal crashes per 1 million people on clear days and 2.94 in bad weather.
And the numbers make total sense if you drive here in December. We have tourists everywhere, airport traffic, concerts, shopping, holiday events, and people bouncing between Brickell, Doral, Wynwood, and Miami Beach all day long. Add in the Palmetto, I 95, the Dolphin, and the Turnpike slowing down at the same time, and it becomes one long crawl.
Miami may not rank in the top five, but everyone who lives here knows the holiday gridlock is real.
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