Traffic congestion in the Baltimore and Washington areas costs Maryland citizens $3.1 billion annually, according to a recent study.

The Texas Transportation Institute report, commissioned by area business groups, said earlier this month that the cost of congestion in the state has increased by 1,200 percent since 1982 due to a rise in traffic volume without corresponding improvement or construction of roads.

Driving in "peak periods" costs Marylanders more than $800 a year, the report said.

"More and more citizens are sitting in traffic, which is harming the economy and quality of life," said Johanna Neumann, spokesman...