Miami's Labor Day Traffic Seventh Worst in the Nation

MIAMI, Aug. 28, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Every Labor Day, millions of Americans hit the road for one "last" summer weekend, and 2012 will be no different according to INRIX, the leading provider of traffic information.  Through in-depth analysis of recent traffic patterns in the metropolitan area, INRIX predicts that Miami, ranked as the twelfth-most congested city in the U.S.[1], will claim the number seven spot for the worst cities for weekend road-trippers.

"With Isaac causing havoc in the Gulf, we expect Miami residents to stay closer to home compared to years past," said Jim Bak, INRIX Director of Community Relations.  "However, if you're planning to get out on Friday, the best bet is to wait until after nightfall.  Travelers thinking they'll avoid traffic by waiting for Saturday to depart will have better luck if they get on the road before noon, as traffic will pick up after lunch and peak between 2 and 3 p.m."

Key insights from INRIX's Miami area research include:

• Area residents should leave Miami either late Friday evening or Saturday morning to avoid the worst of traffic.
• Saturday will be the busier day for families heading north to Disney World in Orlando with the longest delays expected at the I-4 interchange.
• Road trippers heading south to Key West can expect average speeds of just 16mph from Downtown Miami to Kendall.
• West Palm Beach visitors will experience almost no delays aside from a few stretches of the Dolphin Expressway out of Miami.

Given the expected increase in the number of holiday travelers, combined with inevitable road construction and unexpected delays due to accidents and other incidents, Bak advises travelers to use free tools like the INRIX Traffic app, to help ease drivers' getaway trips with up-to-the-minute information about traffic conditions and travel times.

Additional information about traffic delays heading to popular road trip destinations around Miami is as follows:

The southbound 821 will suffer average speeds of 22mph from Fountainbleu to Kendall and drivers heading west along the Dolphin Expressway will be plagued by uninterrupted speeds of barely 15 mph from Miami Airport to Dodge Island.

Meanwhile, Saturday will see lighter conditions, with delays contained to downtown traffic along the eastbound Dolphin Expressway. Also expect sporadic queues along FL-821 north towards the I-75 interchange.

Miami to Key West, FL

Miami to Hollywood, FL (Hard Rock Seminole)

West Palm Beach, FL

INRIX has already identified almost free flow speeds towards Hollywood, with the key pain point the Dolphin Expressway from Miami. Further north, traffic may experience slowing speeds at Fort Lauderdale, at the I-595 interchange.

Orlando, FL (Disney World)

Saturday will be the busier day for Disney traffic; however, INRIX does not believe congestion will be significantly higher over normal Saturdays, after taking into account holiday traffic patterns over 2010 and 2011.

Everglades National Park

About INRIX

INRIX® is the largest global traffic intelligence platform in the world, delivering smart data and analytics to solve transportation issues worldwide. INRIX crowd sources data daily from more than 100 million vehicles and devices to deliver traffic and driving-related insight, as well as sophisticated analytical tools and services, across six industries in 31 countries.

With more than 200 customers and partners including Audi AG, ADAC, ANWB, BMW, the BBC, Ford Motor Company, the I-95 Coalition, MapQuest, Microsoft, NAVIGON, Nissan, O2, Tele Atlas, Telmap, Toyota and Vodafone, INRIX's real-time traffic information and traffic forecasts help drivers save time every day.  To experience the traffic technology revolution behind the next generation of transportation, navigation and location-based service applications, visit www.INRIX.com.

[1] As determined by the 2011 INRIX Traffic Scorecard, released May 2012. For more information, see http://scorecard.inrix.com.

SOURCE INRIX