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Table 4-28: Annual Wasted Fuel Per Person

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Population group Urban area Gallons wasted Percent changea
Short-term
1998-2003
Percent changea
Long-term
1982-2003
1982 1985 1990 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 Percent Rank Percent Rank
Medium Akron, OH 1 2 4 8 11 14 15 15 14 13 12 -14 75 1100 7
Medium Albany-Schenectady, NY (R) 5 (R) 2 (R) 5 (R) 6 (R) 7 (R) 7 8 (R) 9 (R) 9 (R) 10 10 43 16 100 80
Medium Albuquerque, NM (R) 4 (R) 7 (R) 13 (R) 27 (R) 32 (R) 36 (R) 38 (R) 40 29 (R) 28 24 -33 83 500 29
Small Allentown-Bethlehem, PA-NJ 5 6 10 11 16 12 14 11 12 11 12 0 64 140 75
Small Anchorage, AK (R) 3 (R) 4 (R) 4 (R) 2 (R) 2 (R) 2 (R) 3 (R) 3 (R) 3 (R) 4 4 100 4 33 85
Large Atlanta, GA 10 (R) 18 20 45 (R) 50 53 (R) 55 50 (R) 53 (R) 48 56 6 59 460 39
Medium Austin, TX (R) 8 (R) 14 (R) 16 (R) 29 (R) 34 (R) 40 (R) 34 (R) 41 (R) 43 (R) 44 44 10 53 450 42
Small Bakersfield, CA (R) 1 (R) 1 (R) 4 (R) 4 5 5 5 5 (R) 6 (R) 6 6 20 40 500 29
Large Baltimore, MD 6 10 25 29 30 32 30 31 (R) 32 (R) 36 44 38 20 633 18
Small Beaumont, TX (R) 3 (R) 5 (R) 4 (R) 5 (R) 6 (R) 6 (R) 9 (R) 10 (R) 10 (R) 10 13 117 2 333 54
Medium Birmingham, AL (R) 4 (R) 6 8 (R) 16 18 (R) 19 (R) 22 (R) 22 (R) 22 (R) 23 24 26 33 500 29
Very large Boston, MA-NH-RI 14 20 (R) 31 37 38 (R) 41 41 43 (R) 42 (R) 43 43 5 61 207 69
Small Boulder, CO (R) 1 (R) 2 (R) 2 (R) 4 (R) 4 (R) 6 (R) 6 (R) 6 (R) 7 (R) 7 7 17 45 600 20
Medium Bridgeport-Stamford, CT-NY 4 7 14 18 17 21 24 28 28 29 29 38 19 625 19
Small Brownsville, TX (R) 1 (R) 1 (R) 2 (R) 3 (R) 3 (R) 3 (R) 3 (R) 4 (R) 4 (R) 4 4 33 24 300 55
Large Buffalo, NY 2 2 (R) 4 (R) 4 (R) 4 (R) 4 5 6 8 8 8 100 4 300 55
Small Cape Coral, FL (R) 2 (R) 3 (R) 5 8 (R) 9 (R) 10 (R) 10 (R) 10 (R) 10 (R) 10 11 10 53 450 42
Small Charleston-North Charleston, SC (R) 7 (R) 9 (R) 16 14 (R) 13 (R) 15 (R) 17 (R) 19 (R) 19 (R) 18 19 27 32 171 72
Medium Charlotte, NC-SC (R) 7 (R) 12 (R) 18 (R) 21 23 29 (R) 30 32 (R) 35 (R) 35 39 34 23 457 41
Very large Chicago, IL-IN 10 17 28 (R) 31 40 38 41 40 (R) 39 (R) 40 45 18 42 350 52
Large Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN 3 (R) 6 13 21 (R) 24 30 (R) 30 (R) 32 (R) 33 (R) 34 37 23 37 1,133 6
Large Cleveland, OH 1 1 5 15 17 (R) 21 16 17 (R) 15 13 11 -48 85 1,000 10
Small Colorado Springs, CO (R) 1 (R) 3 (R) 3 (R) 9 (R) 10 (R) 14 16 18 19 (R) 20 19 36 22 1,800 1
Small Columbia, SC 2 4 5 5 5 5 5 6 8 7 7 40 17 250 64
Large Columbus, OH (R) 3 (R) 4 15 (R) 25 (R) 28 32 32 (R) 34 (R) 29 (R) 28 27 -16 77 800 12
Small Corpus Christi, TX (R) 3 (R) 3 (R) 4 (R) 4 (R) 4 (R) 4 (R) 4 (R) 5 (R) 4 6 6 50 10 100 80
Very large Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 10 21 (R) 29 (R) 39 (R) 38 (R) 40 (R) 44 (R) 60 (R) 52 (R) 52 58 45 14 480 38
Medium Dayton, OH 2 3 6 14 17 19 19 21 19 17 14 -26 82 600 20
Large Denver-Aurora, CO (R) 11 (R) 14 (R) 19 37 42 47 50 (R) 51 (R) 54 (R) 55 41 -13 74 273 62
Very large Detroit, MI (R) 11 12 32 42 (R) 41 43 44 (R) 42 (R) 40 (R) 42 44 2 63 300 55
Medium El Paso, TX-NM (R) 2 (R) 2 4 8 (R) 6 8 9 (R) 13 15 (R) 18 17 113 3 750 13
Small Eugene, OR (R) 1 (R) 2 (R) 3 (R) 4 (R) 4 (R) 5 (R) 6 (R) 8 (R) 10 (R) 8 8 60 8 700 15
Medium Fresno, CA (R) 5 5 (R) 11 (R) 9 9 (R) 12 13 15 (R) 16 (R) 13 13 8 55 160 73
Medium Grand Rapids, MI 3 3 7 11 13 14 18 18 16 16 18 29 30 500 29
Medium Hartford, CT (R) 3 (R) 4 (R) 6 (R) 9 (R) 10 (R) 12 (R) 13 (R) 14 (R) 14 (R) 16 16 33 24 433 46
Medium Honolulu, HI 7 10 21 (R) 22 (R) 22 (R) 19 21 (R) 21 17 (R) 18 16 -16 78 129 77
Very large Houston, TX 33 (R) 54 (R) 40 (R) 41 44 (R) 53 (R) 49 (R) 58 (R) 51 (R) 52 53 0 64 61 84
Large Indianapolis, IN (R) 3 3 6 (R) 33 (R) 37 40 33 (R) 32 34 (R) 36 34 -15 76 1,033 9
Medium Jacksonville, FL (R) 5 (R) 7 (R) 16 30 29 30 25 25 25 26 28 -7 71 460 39
Large Kansas City, MO-KS 1 3 6 11 (R) 14 15 (R) 16 (R) 20 (R) 16 (R) 15 15 0 64 1,400 3
Small Laredo, TX (R) 1 (R) 1 (R) 1 (R) 3 (R) 3 (R) 4 (R) 5 (R) 5 (R) 5 (R) 6 6 50 10 500 29
Large Las Vegas, NV 4 8 19 (R) 21 23 (R) 26 26 27 (R) 27 (R) 24 24 -8 73 500 29
Small Little Rock, AR 2 2 3 6 6 8 8 11 9 11 9 13 50 350 52
Very large Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, CA 31 39 80 75 (R) 81 79 (R) 84 (R) 83 (R) 77 (R) 73 73 -8 72 135 76
Medium Louisville, KY-IN (R) 7 (R) 7 9 (R) 22 (R) 28 (R) 32 33 (R) 36 (R) 34 (R) 30 34 6 57 386 48
Medium Memphis, TN-MS-AR (R) 2 3 (R) 9 18 (R) 19 (R) 21 22 (R) 22 (R) 24 (R) 25 27 29 30 1,250 5
Very Large Miami, FL (R) 8 (R) 10 (R) 21 (R) 31 (R) 33 (R) 35 (R) 35 (R) 38 (R) 40 (R) 42 44 26 34 450 42
Large Milwaukee, WI 4 6 10 19 20 20 22 24 (R) 24 (R) 22 21 5 60 425 47
Large Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN (R) 2 6 14 (R) 29 29 39 (R) 40 (R) 45 (R) 36 (R) 39 38 -3 70 1,800 1
Medium Nashville-Davidson, TN (R) 10 (R) 12 16 24 26 (R) 31 (R) 28 (R) 34 (R) 34 (R) 34 38 23 39 280 61
Medium New Haven, CT 3 4 7 9 8 11 15 19 20 25 20 82 7 567 25
Large New Orleans, LA 7 9 11 18 18 18 18 18 (R) 16 (R) 16 15 -17 79 114 78
Very large New York, Newark, NY-NJ-CT 10 12 30 30 30 32 34 38 (R) 34 (R) 36 37 16 47 270 63
Large Oklahoma City, OK 2 3 4 (R) 7 (R) 9 (R) 11 (R) 11 13 10 11 13 18 43 550 28
Medium Omaha, NE-IA (R) 3 (R) 5 (R) 8 (R) 13 14 (R) 15 (R) 16 (R) 17 (R) 17 19 20 33 24 567 25
Large Orlando, FL (R) 8 (R) 15 (R) 18 (R) 30 34 (R) 37 42 41 (R) 47 (R) 49 43 16 46 438 45
Medium Oxnard-Ventura, CA 4 8 14 18 21 18 20 21 25 29 28 56 9 600 20
Small Pensacola, FL-AL (R) 2 (R) 3 8 (R) 11 (R) 11 (R) 13 14 (R) 14 (R) 16 (R) 14 15 15 48 650 17
Very large Philadelphia, PA-NJ-DE-MD (R) 9 (R) 9 (R) 15 (R) 23 (R) 23 (R) 24 (R) 31 (R) 34 (R) 29 (R) 34 36 50 10 300 55
Very large Phoenix, AZ 12 13 (R) 23 (R) 26 (R) 33 36 32 39 (R) 38 (R) 40 39 8 55 225 66
Large Pittsburgh, PA 6 7 10 (R) 11 (R) 11 12 (R) 13 (R) 14 11 (R) 11 10 -17 79 67 83
Large Portland, OR-WA (R) 5 5 14 (R) 28 32 33 (R) 34 35 (R) 34 (R) 34 34 3 62 580 24
Large Providence, RI-MA (R) 3 (R) 5 (R) 10 (R) 14 (R) 17 (R) 25 (R) 17 (R) 21 (R) 19 (R) 21 28 12 51 833 11
Medium Raleigh-Durham, NC 5 8 16 19 18 20 20 19 21 27 23 15 49 360 50
Medium Richmond, VA (R) 3 (R) 3 (R) 7 (R) 21 (R) 24 (R) 21 (R) 20 (R) 16 (R) 12 (R) 12 14 -33 83 367 49
Large Riverside-San Bernardino, CA (R) 6 (R) 12 (R) 34 37 40 42 (R) 48 46 (R) 44 (R) 47 50 19 41 733 14
Medium Rochester, NY (R) 1 (R) 1 (R) 3 5 (R) 5 6 5 (R) 7 6 6 6 0 64 500 29
Large Sacramento, CA (R) 8 11 (R) 24 24 29 26 (R) 26 28 (R) 30 (R) 28 32 23 38 300 55
Small Salem, OR (R) 2 (R) 2 (R) 5 (R) 7 (R) 8 (R) 9 (R) 9 (R) 9 10 10 12 33 24 500 29
Medium Salt Lake City, UT (R) 2 3 (R) 6 16 15 (R) 13 (R) 14 15 (R) 17 (R) 24 29 123 1 1,350 4
Large San Antonio, TX (R) 5 (R) 11 10 (R) 17 (R) 17 18 23 (R) 32 (R) 35 (R) 31 33 83 6 560 27
Large San Diego, CA (R) 6 12 28 (R) 24 (R) 25 30 28 34 (R) 34 (R) 36 42 40 17 600 20
Very large San Francisco-Oakland, CA 20 39 60 51 52 47 53 (R) 56 (R) 57 (R) 58 59 26 35 195 70
Large San Jose, CA (R) 18 34 66 43 42 (R) 39 44 50 (R) 50 (R) 50 46 18 44 156 74
Medium Sarasota-Bradenton, FL 7 7 8 9 11 11 11 14 13 13 15 36 21 114 78
Large Seattle, WA (R) 9 (R) 15 (R) 38 (R) 47 (R) 48 (R) 51 (R) 51 (R) 54 (R) 43 (R) 42 41 -20 81 356 51
Small Spokane, WA (R) 2 (R) 2 (R) 3 6 (R) 7 (R) 8 9 9 9 (R) 8 8 0 64 300 55
Medium Springfield, MA-CT 4 5 6 6 6 6 7 7 7 7 8 33 24 100 80
Large St. Louis, MO-IL (R) 10 13 (R) 16 (R) 30 (R) 31 (R) 34 (R) 33 (R) 35 36 (R) 32 34 0 64 240 65
Large Tampa-St Petersburg, FL 12 14 22 (R) 34 33 32 (R) 32 33 (R) 30 (R) 33 34 6 57 183 71
Medium Toledo, OH-MI 1 1 3 6 7 9 9 10 11 12 12 33 24 1,100 7
Medium Tucson, AZ (R) 3 4 8 (R) 12 (R) 13 (R) 16 18 18 (R) 17 (R) 20 23 44 15 667 16
Medium Tulsa, OK (R) 2 4 (R) 5 (R) 5 (R) 6 8 9 10 14 (R) 13 12 50 10 500 29
Large Virginia Beach, VA 8 (R) 11 15 19 (R) 21 (R) 21 24 24 (R) 17 (R) 21 26 24 36 225 66
Very large Washington, DC-VA-MD 17 23 35 46 50 49 (R) 57 58 (R) 52 (R) 53 54 10 52 218 68
NA  85-Area Average 11 (R) 15 (R) 28 (R) 32 (R) 34 (R) 36 (R) 37 (R) 39 (R) 37 (R) 38 39 8 NA 255 NA
NA Very Large Area Average 16 (R) 22 (R) 40 (R) 42 (R) 45 (R) 45 (R) 48 (R) 51 (R) 47 (R) 48 50 11 NA 213 NA
NA Large Area Average 7 (R) 10 (R) 19 (R) 27 (R) 29 32 (R) 32 (R) 34 (R) 33 (R) 33 34 6 NA 386 NA
NA Medium Area Average 4 (R) 5 (R) 9 (R) 15 (R) 17 (R) 19 (R) 19 (R) 20 (R) 20 (R) 21 22 16 NA 450 NA
NA Small Area Average (R) 3 (R) 4 (R) 6 (R) 7 (R) 8 (R) 9 (R) 9 (R) 10 10 10 10 11 NA 233 NA

KEY: NA = not applicable; NM = not meaningful.

Very large urban areas - over 3 million population.
Large urban areas - over 1 million and less than 3 million population.
Medium urban areas - over 500,000 and less than 1 million population.
Small urban areas - less than 500,000 population.

a Percent changes were calculated using the numbers in this table and were not obtained from the source. Rank is based on the calculated percent change with the highest number corresponding to a rank of 1.

NOTES

"Wasted" fuel is the difference between the fuel consumed under estimated existing conditions and the fuel consumed under free-flow conditions. Previous editions of this table were calculated on the basis of total fuel consumed during congested trips. Calculations are made for peak period speeds and for free-flow speeds on both the freeway and principal arterial systems. For a more detailed description of the formulas used, see the source document.

The urban areas included are those containing over 500,000 people and several smaller places mostly chosen by previous sponsors of the Texas Transportation Institute study on mobility.

SOURCE

Texas Transportation Institute, The 2005 Annual Urban Mobility Report (College Station, TX: 2005), Internet site http://mobility.tamu.edu as of June 13, 2005.

Updated: Sunday, May 21, 2017