TRAFFIC STUDY: Research shows L.A. has worst Friday afternoon traffic

The Los Angeles metropolitan area recorded the longest Friday afternoon commute times in the nation in a recent study by Governing magazine. According to the data, commuting times increase 44 percent from normal operation during those peak hours.

San Francisco was next, with commute lengths increasing by 35 percent on Friday afternoons. Other areas, such as Bridgeport, Conn., ranked high due to a large number of workers living outside of the city itself.

The study did find that congestion problems were greatest on Friday afternoons in most areas; Los Angeles, for example, experiences only a 34 percent bump in traffic Monday-Thursday afternoons.

Traffic research firm Inrix compiled the data for the study, which examined 100 metropolitan areas nationwide. The year-long study, which concluded in May, examined all roadways in the given areas—including arterial and secondary streets—from 4 to 7 p.m.