Congestion cost U.S. drivers nearly $300 Billion in 2016, an average of $1,400 per driver
  • INRIX Global Traffic Scorecard analyzes and ranks the impact of traffic congestion in 1,064 cities across 38 countries worldwide – the largest ever study of its kind
  • Los Angeles tops the list of the world’s most gridlocked cities, with drivers spending 104 hours in congestion in 2016 during peak time periods, followed by Moscow (91 hours), New York (89 hours), San Francisco (83 hours) and Bogota (80 hours)
  • The U.S. accounted for 11 of the top 25 cities worldwide with the worst traffic congestion
  • The Cross Bronx Expressway in New York tops the list of worst corridors, with the average driver wasting 86 hours per year

Kirkland, WA – February 20, 2017 – INRIX, Inc., the world leader in transportation analytics and connected car services, today published its all-new Global Traffic Scorecard. Based on a new methodology, INRIX analyzed 1,064 cities – 240 in the U.S. – across 38 countries, making it the largest ever study of traffic congestion. Based on the findings, the U.S. ranked as the first most congested developed country in the world, with drivers spending an average of 42 hours a year in traffic during peak hours. For the first time, the INRIX Traffic Scorecard also includes the direct and indirect costs of congestion to all U.S. drivers, which amounted to nearly $300 billion in 2016, an average of $1,400 per driver1.
U.S. cities dominated the top 10 most congested cities globally, with Los Angeles (first), New York (third), San Francisco (fourth), Atlanta (eighth) and Miami (10th) each dealing with an economic drain on the city upwards of $2.5 billion caused by traffic congestion. Los Angeles commuters spent an average of 104 hours last year in traffic jams during peak congestion hours – more than any other city in the world. This contributed to congestion costing drivers in Los Angeles $2,408 each and the city as a whole $9.6 billion from direct and indirect costs. Direct costs relate to the value of fuel and time wasted, and indirect costs refer to freight and business fees from company vehicles idling in traffic, which are passed on to households through higher prices.
Interestingly, both New York and San Francisco, the second- and third-ranked cities in North America (89 and 83 peak hours spent in congestion respectively), have a similar average congestion rate (13 percent) as Los Angeles, but show strikingly different traffic patterns during various parts of the day. For example, New York City has the highest daytime congestion on arterials and city streets, while San Francisco holds the top spot at peak times.
Phoenix and Detroit tie for the lowest cost of congestion among the top 25 U.S. cities, at $1,062 per driver, and rank among the bottom in all three categories of costs: commuting, business and leisure/other. Despite the high costs of congestion in New York and other cities, American drivers, in general, have it easier than their German counterparts. At $1,938, congestion costs the average German driver 38 percent more than an American, after adjusting for exchange rates and the cost of living.
“A stable U.S. economy, continued urbanization of major cities, and factors such as employment growth and low gas prices have all contributed to increased traffic in 2016. Congestion also costs our country hundreds of billions of dollars, threatens future economic growth and lowers our quality of life. Traffic truly is a double-edged sword,” said Bob Pishue, senior economist at INRIX. “The demand for driving is expected to continue to rise, while the supply of roadway will remain flat. Using big data and technology to improve operations of existing roadways offers a more immediate impact on traffic flows and mobility while transportation officials explore strategic capital investments.”

Table 1: 10 Most Congested Urban Areas in the U.S.

RankCity / Large Urban Area2016 Peak Hours Spent in CongestionPercentage of Total Drive Time in Congestion(peak and non-peak hours)Total Cost Per Driver in 2016Total Cost to the City in 2016 (based on city population size)
1Los Angeles, CA10412.7% $    2,408 $9.7bn
2New York, NY8912.8% $    2,533 $16.9bn
3San Francisco, CA8312.8% $    1,996 $2.5bn
4Atlanta, GA7110.0% $    1,861 $3.1bn
5Miami, FL658.7% $    1,762 $3.6bn
6Washington, DC6111.3% $    1,694 $3.0bn
7Dallas, TX596.6% $    1,509 $2.9bn
8Boston, MA5813.4% $    1,759 $2.9bn
9Chicago, IL5710.2% $    1,643 $5.2bn
10Seattle, WA5512.6% $    1,590 $2.0bn

INRIX 2016 Traffic Scorecard Provides In-Depth City Congestion Analysis
New to the 2016 Traffic Scorecard is the ability to study congestion at different times of the day and across different parts of the road network, such as analyzing traffic in downtown areas compared to vehicles coming in and out of a city, inside and outside of peak hours, and at weekends. U.S. insights include:
Overall (Peak & Non-Peak) Congestion Insights
  • While drivers in Los Angeles spent the most peak hours in traffic, Boston drivers spent the highest percentage of their peak travel in congestion – with an average peak congestion rate of 23 percent.
  • Stamford, CT has the highest overall congestion rate in the U.S. at 14 percent, but is closely followed by Boston (13 percent), New York City (13 percent), San Francisco (13 percent), Los Angeles (13 percent) and Seattle (13 percent).
Downtown Metro Insights
  • New Yorkers have it tough on arterials and city streets throughout the day, with an average of 16 percent of travel time on weekdays congested.
  • Commuters within San Francisco have the highest U.S. congestion rate on arterial and city streets during the peak commute hours (23 percent).
In and Out of City Insights
  • Drivers move more quickly in the South. The top five fastest non-congested speeds during the peak period on highways were all in the South. Greensboro, NC took the top spot at 70 mph.
  • Commuters getting into Austin spent more time stuck in traffic than anyone else, with a congestion rate of 28 percent on highways in and out of the city.
Business Impact
  • Freight delivery and business-related travel are slowest within Chicago and Boston. Average congested speeds during the daytime within the two cities are just 4.9 mph.
  • Boston, San Francisco, Seattle and Los Angeles round out the top five most congested major cities for businesses, with 13-14 percent of travel congested during the daytime on arterials and city streets.
Weekend Insights
  • With 12 percent of the drive time congested, New York City and San Francisco have the highest weekend congestion rates out of the major cities studied.
  • Drivers cruise at their slowest in Las Vegas, NV, where weekend congestion speeds are just 5.6 mph. 
The Most Congested Corridors in the U.S.
INRIX also identified the most congested corridors in the U.S., as well as the busiest peak periods. New York’s Cross Bronx Expressway tops the INRIX list of worst corridors, with the average driver on the 4.7-mile stretch wasting 86 hours (over 3.5 days) per year in congestion. Three other New York corridors make the top 10. Surprisingly, Los Angeles, with the top spot in peak hours sitting in congestion, only holds one spot on the list of worst corridors – I-10 Eastbound between I-405 and I-110. San Francisco, the third highest ranking city in the U.S. for peak time spent in congestion, doesn’t appear on the U.S. corridors list until the 31st spot.

Table 2: 10 Most Congested U.S. Roads in 2016
RankCity / Large Urban AreaRoadFromToWorst Peak PeriodTotal Hours of Delay
1New York, NYI-95 WestboundExit 6A (I-278)Exit 2 (Trans-Manhattan Expressway)PM86
2Chicago, ILI-90/I-94 NorthboundExit 53A (I-55)Exit 34B (I-90/I-94)AM85
3New York, NYI-95 EastboundExit 70A (I-80)Exit 7A (I-695)AM76
4Boston, MAI-93 NorthboundExit 5A/MA-24Exit 16/Southampton StreetAM72
5Los Angeles, CAI-10 EastboundExit 3A (I-405)Exit 12 (I-110)PM66
6Austin, TXI-35 SouthboundAirport BoulevardEast Slaughter LanePM63
7New York, NY5th Avenue Southbound120th St40th StPM61
8New York, NYNJ-495 EastboundI-95 Junction12th Ave (Through Lincoln Tunnel)AM60
9Philadelphia, PAI-76 SouthboundExit 332/West ConshohockenExit 343/Spring Garden StreetPM58
10Chicago, ILI-90/I-94 SouthboundExit 34B (I-90/I-94)Exit 50B/West Ohio DriveAM57

How the U.S. Cities Compare to Top Cities Worldwide
At the global city level, Los Angeles tops the list of the world’s most gridlocked cities, with drivers spending 104 peak hours in congestion in 2016, followed by Moscow (91 hours), New York (89 hours), San Francisco (83 hours) and Bogota (80 hours). In addition to Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco, Atlanta and Miami also ranked in the top 10 most congested cities in the world out of 1,064 cities analyzed.

Table 3: 10 Most Congested Cities in the World in 2016

RankGlobal CityCountryContinent2016 Peak Hours Spent in CongestionPercentage of Total Drive Time in Congestion (peak and non-peak hours)
1Los AngelesU.S.North America10412.7%
2MoscowRussiaEurope9125.2%
3New YorkU.S.North America8912.8%
4San FranciscoU.S.North America8312.8%
5BogotaColombiaSouth America8031.8%
6Sao PauloBrazilSouth America7720.8%
7LondonU.K.Europe7312.7%
8AtlantaU.S.North America7110.0%
9ParisFranceEurope6511.4%
10MiamiU.S.North America658.7%

Of the 38 countries covered by the INRIX 2016 Traffic Scorecard, Thailand leads with the highest average hours spent in peak congestion (61 hours), outranking Columbia (47 hours) and Indonesia (47 hours) at second, and Russia (42 hours) and the U.S. (42 hours) at fourth.

Table 4: 15 Most Congested Countries in the World in 2016

RankCountryContinent (Europe Ranking)2016 Peak Hours Spent in Congestion
1ThailandAsia61
2ColombiaSouth America47
2IndonesiaAsia47
4RussiaEurope (1)42
4U.S.North America42
6VenezuelaSouth America39
7South AfricaAfrica38
8BrazilSouth America37
8Puerto RicoNorth America37
10TurkeyEurope (2)34
11U.K.Europe (3)32
12GermanyEurope (4)30
12SlovakiaEurope (4)30
14CanadaNorth America28
14LuxembourgEurope (6)28