NJ’s rank in traffic congestion and infrastructure will shock you

Recently, WalletHub did their annual ranking of the best to worst states in which to drive. For the overall ranking, they combined the individual categories of Safety, Cost of Vehicle Ownership and Maintenance, Access to Vehicles and Maintenance, and Traffic and Infrastructure.

My colleague Big Joe Henry wrote about the results recently which found New Jersey ranked 27th, middle of the pack, between best and worst.

But I wanted to go more into the one category of Traffic and Infrastructure. In that category, we were nearly dead last in the country.

Read More: How driver-friendly is New Jersey?

The Ranking

We rank 47th, with only New York, Massachusetts, and Maryland being worse for traffic congestion and infrastructure conditions than us. What all went into deciding that category?

- share of rush hour traffic congestion

- average commute time

- increase in vehicle travel over five years

- number of days with precipitation

- number of icy days

- number of strong wind and hailstorms

- road quality

- bridge quality

- miles driven per person

Those first two factors were weighed the heaviest in this study. So it’s truly more the sheer number of other drivers out there battling us for pavement space than the condition of that pavement that cost us so dearly.

My Commute

One recent morning I had to drive from Matawan to my former town of Flemington, and it should have taken 50 minutes. Instead, it took nearly two hours. The Parkway was more a parking lot. 287 was nightmarishly backed up to a crawl. After a brief respite once 287 was behind me 202 South was then at a near standstill in spots.

47th worst in the nation for traffic congestion and infrastructure.

I hit a pothole so deep the other day I pulled off the road to get out and look. I was that sure it did damage. Luckily, it didn’t. But the point is there. While the bigger issue is that we have to look out for other drivers in this obnoxiously overcrowded state we also must look out for the very roads on which we’re driving.

The stress drivers are put under every day just getting to and from work is legendary. It’s enough to make you old.