Congestion across Hampton Roads has been steadily increasing in recent years, but transportation officials say the region is not yet at a critical tipping point.
According to the Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization’s (HRTPO) latest annual report, traffic levels are rising year over year, though they remain below pre-pandemic levels. Keith Nichols, HRTPO’s Principal Transportation Engineer, says roadway congestion is still about four percent lower than it was before COVID-19 disrupted daily travel patterns.
“While it is increasing each year, the amount of traffic we have on our roadways is still about four percent lower than what we saw prior to the pandemic,” Nichols said. “The number of people working from home is still elevated compared to what we saw in 2019.”…