WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy and the Federal Highway Administration have jointly launched the 'Freedom to Drive initiative', an opportunity for states to collaborate with the Department of Transportation on tackling increasing congestion corridors across the United States.
This national effort aims to save American families both time and money by focusing on maximizing roadway capacities, fast-tracking projects that alleviate congestion choke points, and leveraging American technology and private-sector partnerships, DOT said in a press release.
'Under President Trump, we are working to deliver less congested roads and highways to give you a little bit more time at home with your family around the dinner table,' said Secretary Duffy. 'Part of ushering in a Golden Age of Travel means making it a little easier to get where you need to go. The Trump Administration is tackling congestion head on to eliminate endless traffic jams and ensure you spend less sitting wasting away in gridlock.'
In his letter, Secretary Duffy emphasized the Administration's commitment to moving away from 'stop-and-go' policies and toward high-performance, high-efficiency solutions. The Secretary requested Governors identify two to five of their states' worst congestion bottlenecks and outline actionable steps to address them.
To support these efforts, the FHWA has launched the Freedom to Drive website as a central resource for technical tools and congestion-relief strategies.
The United States is home to 10 of the 25 most congested cities in the world, including Chicago and Los Angeles.
In 2024, the average urban auto commuter spent 63 hours stuck in traffic. That equals $269 billion in lost productivity.
Not only are Americans losing valuable time with their families and loved ones, but delays to commercial and freight activity also impacted the economy.
This problem is not contained to major metropolitan cities, but rural areas also face disruptions due to crashes, severe weather, and recreational travel.
Rebuilding the United States' aging highway infrastructure is estimated to cost nearly a trillion dollars. In August last year, USDOT modeled leveraging private sector partnerships allowing taxpayer dollars to go further while delivering new transportation infrastructure safely and efficiently.
The Department announced a loan of up to $3.89 billion from the Build America Bureau to a public-private partnership between the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT), the State Road and Tollway Authority (SRTA), and SR 400 Peach Partners, LLC (Peach Partners), to add new lanes in both directions along a 16-mile section from the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) North Springs Station to one mile north of McFarland Parkway.
The project is expected to reduce delays by more than 19,000 hours each day, or about 15 minutes per traveler, due to less idling and traffic congestion, according to the Department of Transportation.
Copyright(c) 2026 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX
© 2026 AFX News
