(WICHITA, Kan.)
Six hours a year, that's how long a Reader's Digest study says the average Wichita driver will spend in traffic. Sound like a lot? It's not. Wichita actually tied for the least congested city in the study.
Every city has it's problem spots. "47th and Broadway," said one driver. Cadee Moore adds, "I hate driving on Rock Road. It's always the worst."
Let's face it, we have it pretty easy here in Wichita. Just ask someone who spends all day on the road.
Dan Kelley, with American Cab Company tells Eyewitness News, "I do notice that there's certain places that bottleneck slightly, but even compared to bottlenecks in another major city, this is really nothing."
Kelley knows this first hand since he used to drive cab in San Francisco where people average about 49 more hours in traffic each year than Wichitans.
"It would be like trying to compare old time traffic in 1915 to a war zone."
Congestion is something that KDOT spends a lot of time trying to put the breaks on. Officials say the worst areas always seem to be those around construction zones, and even then, they try to minimize maximizing your commute time.
"We try to push a contractor into a very compressed schedule. We do a lot of work at night, after 7:00 PM and especially after 9:00 PM, and try to open up those lanes before 6:00 AM," Explains Tom Hein.
And even areas like Kellogg and I235, notorious for back-ups, are scheduled for tune ups. All the more reason Dan knows his big city driving habits will stay in park.
"I don't have to crowd. I don't have to be a jerk. I don't have to do anything crazy. I just have to use my head and drive smart."
Click here to see how other cities ranked.
