How much money do motorists lose each year commuting on roads in Maryland?

If you live in Maryland, your commute may be costing you a lot more than you think.

The average driver in the D.C. area loses $3,464 each year due to driving on local and state roads that are deteriorated, congested or are without some safety features, according to a new report by TRIP, a national transportation research nonprofit based in D.C.

“As we see people returning closer to their pre-pandemic levels, we’re seeing levels of traffic congestion again beginning to increase,” said Rocky Moretti, director of policy and research for TRIP.

In Baltimore, the total average a driver loses is $2,807, and in the Hagerstown/Frederick region, that number is $1,770.

Add all that up, and the total statewide for all drivers is $12 billion lost.

With traffic congestion, the average driver in the D.C. region loses 86 hours annually of their time and 31 gallons of lost fuel — costing them $2,183 a year for the extra time on the road. That’s the highest in the state, with Baltimore drivers losing $1,313 annually for congestion.

Another big cost is the rough ride the roads provide.

“In Maryland’s Washington area suburbs, 29% of major local and state-maintained roadways are in poor condition, and 23% are rated in mediocre condition,” Moretti said.

Bridges are no better, with 4% of bridges in the D.C. region being rated as “poor/structurally deficient,” 58% rated as being in fair condition, and 38% rated as being in good condition — which is the highest rating.

Driving on deteriorated roads comes at a cost of $788 a year for drivers in the D.C. region, $959 in the Baltimore region and $609 in the Frederick/Hagerstown areas.

The report also looked at traffic safety and fatalities, which it found increased by 31% in the state over the past decade to 610 in 2023, up from 465 in 2013.

“Over the last five years, 25% of traffic fatality victims in Maryland were either pedestrian or bicyclists,” Moretti said.

He said traffic crashes also come at an economic cost of $493 every year per driver.

State and local officials are adopting the Federal Highway Administration’s Safe System approach, which includes objectives such as encouraging safer driving, better roadway designs, safer cars, safer speeds and better post-crash care that increases the chances someone survives a crash.

“This approach can have a significant impact on traffic safety, but clearly in terms of roadway safety features, it’s critical that adequate resources are available to state and local governments to make those improvements,” Moretti said.

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