Cars lined up in traffic on a New Jersey road
(Photo by Kena Betancur/Getty Images)Here’s something we already know: Jersey traffic is bad.
No one wants to get stuck in Central Jersey traffic, but it happens every day to almost everyone. If you live here and you’d like to avoid it, then you should stay home.
As I’ve gotten older, I realize that any traffic at all is just a part of life. It doesn’t bother me as much as it used to; however, it can still cause some veins in my neck to pop. If I’m not in a hurry, it’s cool. But like most other people, if I’m driving somewhere important, the guy in front of me is the worst person ever.
I experienced Jersey stress by way of my daughter last weekend. She was coming back from visiting friends for the weekend and got stuck in Garden State Parkway traffic. She needed to catch a train to get back to school in Rhode Island. It was two hours before the train, and she was completely stopped.
I got a panicked call from her telling me that all the roads on Maps were red. She desperately told me that her arrival time home was past the time of the train. She then shared angrily how she hates (Jersey) traffic and asked, “Why does this happen, and what am I going to do?”
I did what any dad would do and said, “It’s your fault for not spending all your free time with your daddy.” Actually, I tried to stay calm and told her that I understood why she’s concerned, but it will work out. Thankfully, it did. It made me realize that when I was her age, I would have reacted similarly.
New Jersey Traffic Nearly the Worst
Those who live in Jersey would swear that our traffic is the worst in the country. According to a new study about the states you are most likely to get stuck in traffic, they would be wrong. However, New Jersey traffic is pretty close to being the worst in America.
The study conducted by Bader Scott analyzed road length data from the Federal Highway Administration and vehicle registration data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics to see which states had the highest amount of road vehicles per one thousand miles of road.
It was discovered that Hawaii is where you’re most likely to be stuck in traffic. Hawaiians average over two hundred thousand vehicles for every one thousand miles of road, the highest of any state.
However, we are right behind them with New Jersey traffic landing second on the list. We’ve got about a hundred and forty thousand registered vehicles for every one thousand miles of road.
Florida is third, followed by Massachusetts, California, Maryland, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Virginia, and Washington.
So, here’s something to think about the next time you’re sitting in gridlock Jersey traffic. You can dream of being in beautiful Hawaii and simultaneously be thankful you’re not.
