An American city has been crowned the most congested place to drive in the world and, according to a new report, time wasted in traffic is costing billions.
New York City was ranked number one for the second year in a row in the INRIX Global Traffic Dashboard 2023 for the urban area with the worst traffic.
The report analyzed maximum speed and free-flow speed data from the world’s busiest transportation corridors and determined that Big Apple drivers spent a total of 101 hours delayed in traffic jams last year.
Hours of travel cost the economy $9.1 billion in lost time, according to the report.
‘Traffic congestion is both a nightmare and a barometer of economic health; it symbolizes bustling activity but at the same time hinders it,” said Bob Pishue, transportation analyst at INRIX. Bloomberg.
New York City was ranked number one in the world as the city with the worst traffic, for the second year in a row.
“Increased traffic congestion in urban areas signaled a revival of the post-COVID economic bustle, but also resulted in billions of dollars in lost time for drivers.”
Mexico City came in second place, followed by London, Paris and Chicago. The rankings were decided based on the influence of congestion in relation to population.
Traffic cost the US more than $70.4 billion in 2023 and drivers lost an average of 42 hours stuck in traffic jams, according to INRIX.
The report found that trips to midtown Manhattan increased 13 percent in 2023 and vehicles were traveling as fast as 11 mph during morning rush hour.
“Although congestion is returning to pre-COVID levels, we are seeing interesting changes in congestion patterns due to the lingering effects of the pandemic,” Pishue said.
“The continuation of hybrid and remote work is creating new peaks in travel compared to what we have seen previously.”
Big Apple drivers spent a total of 101 hours delayed in traffic jams last year, costing the economy $9.1 billion in lost time.
The rankings come just weeks after New York Gov. Kathy Hocul abruptly halted Manhattan’s congestion pricing plan that was aimed at reducing traffic.
The system, which has been years in the making, was intended to raise billions of dollars that would later fund improvements to the city’s aging subways while reducing congestion and air pollution in the city center.
The plan would have charged travelers in cars, SUVs and vans $15 a day to enter Manhattan below 60th Street. Trucks would have been subject to tolls ranging from $24 to $36, depending on size. And motorcyclists would have to pay a $7.50 fee to enter.
Taxi and rideshare drivers will also need to add $1.25 and $2.50, respectively, to their individual trip totals.
Shortly before the plan went into effect, Hocul postponed it indefinitely, saying now is “not the right time” to impose sky-high tolls on New Yorkers already struggling to make ends meet.