• by Erik Sass  @eriksass1, January 12, 2007

If anyone is still skeptical about the efficacy of outdoor advertising, a new study publicized by the Outdoor Advertising Association of America on Thursday seeks to put those doubts to rest. Somewhat perversely, the report celebrates the most annoying aspect of many Americans' daily routine--sitting in traffic.

"Americans are spending more time in their car than ever before as commute times are significantly up, traffic is more congested and the Baby Boomer generation mainly moves via auto," the report noted somewhat gleefully. Even better, it went on, "congestion is getting worse in heavily populated areas and smaller metro areas as well."

The OAAA's data comes from a new study, "Commuting in America: The Third National Report on Commuting Patterns and Trends," by Alan Pisarski of the Transportation Research Board, part of the not-for-profit National Academies based in Washington, D.C.

Collating and analyzing data from a number of studies, Pisarski found that average daily commuting time grew from 21.7 minutes in 1980, to 22.4 minutes in 1990, to 24.5 minutes in 2000. Although his data set only extends to 2004, it's easy to imagine this trend continuing into 2007 and beyond. States that saw the largest increase in daily commute times were Georgia and West Virginia, due to the massive growth of the Atlanta metropolitan area in the former, and the extension of Washington, D.C.'s suburbs into the latter along I-81.

Nancy Fletcher, president and CEO of OAAA, was quoted as saying: "This study points to several demographic trends which validate the value of the ability to reach consumers outside the home." Coming on the heels of a record-breaking year for the out-of-home category, the OAAA's opening volley in 2007 hints at the industry's hopes for another blockbuster. Judging by the historical record, there's grounds for optimism: every year since 2001 has broken revenue records.