NYC Traffic Far From The Worst In The World Or Even The U.S.

Photo: Getty Images North America

The average New Yorker spends nearly five days per year sitting in traffic, but it could be a lot worse.

A new study by mobile analytics company INRIX found that the Big Apple's famous traffic problems are far from the worst in the world or even the worst in the United States. In fact, New York's present traffic issues would look like strides in another northeastern city.

The typical New Yorker spends 117 hours sitting in traffic every year, and that wasted time costs roughly $2,000 per person, per year.

But NYC's sister city from across the Atlantic, London, England, is actually home to the worst traffic in the world. (Imagine how confused you would be driving on the wrong side of the road.)

London drivers lose approximately 156 hours per year stuck in their cars on average — that amounts to 6.5 days.

But Chicago was close behind London, with the average Windy City resident spending 155 hours per year in traffic.

Paris, France, came in next with residents losing 138 hours per year to traffic.

And Boston can claim to have beaten New York in the traffic game, with the average Bostonian losing 134 hours per year to traffic. New York's 117 hours per year landed it at fifth.

In fact, Boston's metrics in this department are surging in the wrong direction. INRIX measured a 79 person increased in congestion in Bean Town from 2021 to 2022. Chicago's congestion increased 49 percent last year.

Congestion in NYC has stayed more static with just a 15 percent increase.

The rest of the Top 10 was rounded out by Bogotá, Colombia; Toronto, Ontario; Miami, Florida; Palermo, Italy; and Monterrey, Mexico.


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