HRTPO recently prepared the 2018 edition of the Annual Roadway Performance Report.  The report includes a large amount of information on the performance of the roadway system in Hampton Roads, including:

Regional Roadway Travel Levels - In Hampton Roads there are approximately 65 locations equipped with continuous count stations, where traffic volume data is collected continuously throughout the entire year.  Based on the data collected at these stations, which are primarily on major roadways such as freeways and principal arterials, regional traffic volumes grew 1.3% from 2016 to 2017. 

Since 2000, traffic volumes in Hampton Roads have grown nearly 12%.  After falling throughout the economic downturn and remaining largely flat earlier in this decade, regional traffic volumes increased by 5.9% from 2014 to 2017.  The increase in traffic volumes from 2015 to 2016 was the largest year-to-year increase in regional roadway travel since 2002.

Peak Period Regional Congestion Levels - Among major roadways, 8% of the lane-miles[i] in Hampton Roads are severely congested during the morning peak travel period.  Another 13% of lane-miles are moderately congested, and 79% experience low to moderate congestion levels.

Roadway congestion levels are much higher during the afternoon peak period, with 15% of lane-miles being severely congested during the afternoon peak travel period, 16% experiencing moderate congestion, and 69% experiencing low to moderate congestion. 

Another way to analyze congestion levels is from the perspective of the driver, based on the amount of travel in the region.  During the morning peak travel period, 17% of roadway travel occurs in severely congested conditions.  During the afternoon peak period, this percentage increases to 26% of roadway travel.

Peak Period Travel Times on Major Corridors - HRTPO staff also analyzed how peak period travel times have changed over the last few years on a number of major corridors in Hampton Roads.  As an example, peak period travel times have increased at the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel (HRBT), particularly in the westbound direction.  In the westbound direction, average travel times during the afternoon peak period increased from 19.7 minutes in 2013 to 28.4 minutes in 2017, an increase of nearly 9 minutes.  During the morning peak period, travel times increased from 9.8 minutes in 2013 to 11.5 minutes in 2017.