Chicago No. 1 in road congestion

The Chicago Tribune reports:

In a confirmation that the worsening traffic aches and pains drivers here feel are real, the Chicago region has shot up to No. 1 in road congestion in the U.S., according to a long-running study of mobility problems choking the nation.

The increasing gridlock on major roadways at almost any hour, any day of the week was measured in 2009, when drivers in many other metropolitan areas caught a slight breather from growing congestion, said the Urban Mobility Report, issued Thursday by the Texas Transportation Institute.

High taxes and road congestion! A winning combination for decline.