(AP, ABC7) - Antonio Vega knows the traffic situation as well as anyone; he spends about four hours a day sitting in it. Vegas has worked as a professional driver in Northern Virginia for seven years.

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“It's horrible, because I have a lot of appointments I have to make,” he said.

A new study will tell just how bad the congestion is. Gov. Bob McDonnell says the broader view of commuting patterns is needed to make traffic run more smoothly in Northern Virginia.

The study, McDonnell announced Monday, will examine commuting patterns west from the Shenandoah Valley, east from the Northern Neck and south through Culpeper and Caroline counties, as well as within Northern Virginia.

Called Super NOVA, it also will look at the impact of commuters from Maryland, West Virginia and Washington, D.C., traveling into the region.

McDonnell says the goal is to develop a comprehensive plan to increase mobility and provide more transportation choices. The study will be conducted by the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation. It's expected to be completed within a year.

Vega hopes the findings will help speed up his travels.

“It should improve a lot, and if not, I don’t know what else we can do, but...it's getting worse,” he said.

The Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation expects to complete the study within a year.