The average U.S. car commuter is spending a record 63 hours annually stuck in traffic amid changes in when and why we drive, a new report finds. • That's the most since 1982, when the dataset begins.

Why it matters: The findings put some hard data behind a common feeling among many drivers: Traffic has been getting worse — or at least different — since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Driving the news: Congestion is once again growing in many cities after a pandemic-era dip, while driver behavior has also changed, per the Texas A&M Transportation Institute's 2025 Urban Mobility Report. • Traditional rush hours are returning. Yet there's also been a "noticeable rise in midday congestion," the report finds, possibly tied to remote and hybrid work changing people's schedules and travel behaviors.

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