TRAFFIC CONGESTION – time it takes for trip measured in PTI

TTI (Texas Transportation Institute)  report includes a new measure of travel reliability called the PTI (Planning Time Index, which illustrates the extra time needed to arrive on time to priority appointments, such as airline departures and medical appointments.  A PTI of 3.00 means that a traveler would need to allow 60 minutes for a trip normally requiring 20 minutes.  Nationally, PTIs range from as low as 1.31 (about 26 minutes for a 20 trip) in Pensacola, Fl to 5.75 (nearly two hours for that same 20 minute trip) in Washington, D. C. In Texas, Austin faces the longest potential delays (its PTI is 4.26), followed by Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington (4.00).  Houst0n ranked 6th-worst among the nation’s 498 urban areas for overall congestion.