The Texas Dept of Transportation recently released a report on the 100 Most Congested Roadway Segments in Texas. It was certainly not a surprise to see parts of Central Expressway, LBJ Freeway, and Stemmons Freeway on the list.
 
It was a surprise to see Forest Ln in practically the heart of Garland on the list.
 
The report is informative in a number of areas. It reports on the delay drivers experience during heavy congestion compared to when the road is free flowing. For example, Central Expressway inside I-635 can take 63% longer to travel the same distance when drive times are compared between peak and off-peak, among the worst sections in the state. Looking toward 2028 it only gets worse. That same stretch is expected to take three times longer, or 300%. TxDOT also notes what improvements it plans.
 
Forest Ln from Garland Ave in Downtown Garland west to I-635 and on to the North Dallas Tollway ranks number 79 on the list. The delay, estimated to be 31% longer during peak, amounts to 56,246 extra hours per mile spent each year riding the brake more than using the gas pedal. As to improvements? None listed.
 
Most of the roadways reported are freeways or tollways, some type of controlled-access highway. There are a few regular streets like Forest in other communities though: West Parker in Plano, Marsh through North Dallas, Collins in Arlington, and Hulen in Fort Worth.
 
The good news for north Garland residents is only the section of SH-190 (PGBT) between Coit and I-35 is on the list, at number 32. We already knew that Central would be on any list. In fact, three separate sections of US-75 are listed in the top 20 most congested roadway segments.