Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 23, 2025
CONTACT:
Stewart Schwartz, 703-599-6437
Consumer Affairs released its ranking of the cities with the worst congestion and DC ranked #1. “These rankings routinely show DC in the top four, so it’s not news that our region has congestion. For one thing, it’s a sign of a healthy economy, and in our case, the return to office requirement,” said Stewart Schwartz, Executive Director of the Coalition for Smarter Growth.
“More importantly, this new report doesn’t appear to account for the 40% of workers[i] (almost a million) who take transit, carpool, walk and bike to work in our region, and who have been given great options for avoiding traffic,” said Schwartz.
CSG reached out to Consumer Affairsabout their methodology, to determine if they counted transit, bike and pedestrian commuters in their analysis and ranking but the designated contact was listed as out of the office. It does not appear however that non-auto trips were included.
Bill Pugh, Senior Policy Fellow for CSG added, “Metrorail, Metrobus, local bus, VRE, MARC, and Amtrak, and our increasing number of homes in walkable, bike-friendly neighborhoods all provide options that are less stressful and healthier. We need our local governments to allow even more housing options in walkable, convenient, transit-accessible locations.”
“This report also helps make clear why our region should be investing in expanding transit options and making it even more frequent,” said Schwartz, who serves on the region’s DMV Moves Community Advisory Committee which is supporting elected officials looking at both transit improvements and dedicated funding options.
“Increased frequency on Metrorail has attracted more riders, and the WMATA 2025 Better Bus Network is also designed to increase bus frequency and speeds. Meanwhile, both MARC and VRE commuter rail have plans to increase service – including all-day bi-directional and weekend service,” said Pugh.
“So, let’s take this latest traffic ranking and use it to spur action on the increased and dedicated funding our transit systems need, and to provide more housing options in walkable communities linked to great transit options,” concluded Schwartz.
The Coalition for Smarter Growth is the leading organization in the Washington, DC region advocating for walkable, bikeable, inclusive, transit-oriented communities as the most sustainable and equitable way for the region to grow and provide opportunities for all.
[i] Sources: National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board, Visualize 2050 plan, and MWCOG employment data.