Traffic congestion is one of the most frustrating things about living in a town. Traffic jams are not only a very expensive and boring waste of fuel, they are also terrible for the environment.
After a brief hiatus during the pandemic, traffic jams are back and stronger than ever. This is demonstrated by this year’s Global Traffic Scorecard, prepared by the analysis company INRIX. By analyzing a set of data, the company calculates how many traffic hours drivers lose each year and how much money they end up spending on fuel.
What are the worst cities in terms of traffic jams? London is in first place this year. With an average of 156 hours of traffic per year, Londoners waste more time of their lives in traffic jams than any other city in the world, and it costs each driver around £1,377 ($1,669) annually.
In second place was Chicago, where drivers spend an average of 155 hours a year in traffic. In addition, this city experienced an increase of more than 49% in 2021, jumping from the sixth position it occupied in the list last year.
In third place was Paris, which was the only city in the top 10 to see traffic decrease in the last 12 months. That said, drivers in the French capital still spend a whopping 138 hours a year stuck in traffic.
“It’s great to see business and civic life return to normal, but unfortunately we are seeing congestion approaching, if not exceeding, pre-pandemic levels. We must manage congestion while improving mobility and accessibility in cities to prevent it from undermining economic recovery and impacting the quality of life for commuters and residents,” said Bob Pishue, transportation analyst and author of the report.
10 cities with the most congested traffic in the world
According to the Inrix Global Traffic Scorecard, these are the 10 cities with the most congested traffic in the world.
London topped the Global Traffic Scorecard for the second year running. The average driver in the English capital lost 156 hours in 2022.
In 2022, Chicago (155 lost hours), Boston (134), New York (117), Miami (105) and Los Angeles (95) were the 5 most impacted cities by traffic in the United States.
Paris completed the top 3 with 138 hours lost. The City of Light has been fighting for a long time to reduce the number of cars on its streets and, on February 17, the Deputy Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire and the Traffic Commissioner David Belliard announced the latest measure: the total ban on non-essential traffic through the city downtown.
Boston drivers spent 124 hours in traffic jams, INRIX revealed. The city’s standing in the United States may be poor, but it’s an improvement over previous studies: Before the pandemic, it was the most congested city in the country.
- New York, USA
New York City residents lost 117 hours in traffic in 2022. And the average speed downtown has dropped to 11 mph, from 13 mph in 2021.
The only Latin American city in the top 10 in the world was Bogota. The Colombian city was the sixth worst in the world with 122 hours.
The data deduced that Toronto lost 118 hours in traffic, compared to London (156 hours) and Chicago (155 hours). It also registered the largest increase in hours lost to traffic since 2021, with a 59% variation, tied with Miami.
Drivers in the Florida city spend an average of more than $1,500 each year in traffic congestion and lose 105 hours.
The dimensions of the periphery of Palermo make this Sicilian metropolis the largest city in Sicily, and one of the most populated and culturally rich in the Ancient Mediterranean. It has an irregular layout with narrow streets and the best option to get to know it is on foot.
Mexico has one of the busiest cities in the world and it is not Mexico City. Monterrey reported a 66% increase in traffic with a total of 116 hours lost in heavy traffic for the average driver.
