Sky-high gas prices are not doing much to ease LA’s infamous traffic nightmare.
Despite regular gas topping $6 a gallon, new data shows Angelenos are still hitting the road in nearly the same numbers as before.
An analysis by the California Department of Transportation found no significant drop in driving on some of the region’s busiest freeways over an eight-week period ending April 23.
The study tracked traffic on major arteries including the 405, 10 and 5 freeways. While some stretches saw traffic rise by nearly 9% and others dip by almost 3%, overall vehicle travel remained largely unchanged.
“I think we’re immune,” Los Angeles resident Marco Falcon, 44, said after learning of the findings.
The numbers reinforce decades of research showing Americans rarely change their driving habits even when gas prices spike.
Los Angeles drivers are now paying an average of $6.05 per gallon for regular gasoline — nearly 28% higher than a year ago and about 36% above the national average, according to AAA.
“You just gotta figure out what your priorities are,” Falcon said, explaining that taking public transit would take him three to four times longer than driving. “Time is money for me.”
Experts say the stubborn traffic levels aren’t surprising.
“People don’t change their behavior much,” said Brian Taylor, a research fellow at UCLA’s Institute of Transportation Studies.
Taylor noted that even modest declines in traffic can make roads seem dramatically less congested.
“A 10% drop in traffic can result in a 40% or 50% drop in delay,” Taylor said.