Two studies found Boston to have some of the worst traffic in the world. The world!
A TomTom Traffic Index report spanned 387 cities across 55 countries and 6 continents. Average commute time, fuel costs, and CO2 Emissions were factored into the final ranking of global cities with the worst traffic. In this report for 2023, Boston came in at number 5 for the worst traffic in North America. TomTom is a global map company that collects data related to traffic and movement patterns.
A similar study from the Global Traffic index reported Boston to have the fourth worst traffic in the world. The report came out in 2022. The comparable study spanned 7 continents, 50 countries, and over 1,000 cities. The worst traffic was determined by the number of hours drivers spent delayed in each city. Bostonians came in at 134 hours wasted in traffic each year, which amounts to 5.6 days to be precise. INRIX, a leading location-based data software, created this Global Traffic Scorecard presenting data on the unique commuting patterns of different metropolitan areas.
Worst traffic by city according to INRIX:
- London-156 hours lost
- Chicago-155 hours
- Paris-138 hours
- Boston- 134 hours
- New York- 117 hours
According to the INRIX report, that traffic congestion in Boston comes at a financial cost too. An average of $2,270 is spent on fuel when Bostonians are waiting in traffic. That’s like a shoestring vacation budget or significant rent contributions!
According to the report, Boston has the 2nd worst traffic in the country and the 4th worst in the entire world! A 72% jump in congestion for Boston has been reported since 2021- most likely due to lessened COVID restrictions, and more people hitting the road for in-person work, travel and amusement at any given time.
Boston doesn’t need a report to know the traffic is bad, but 4th worst in the world is pretty alarming. Maybe it’s because we recently ranked as one of the best cities in the world for 2024, so the city gets more packed every year. Take the commuter rail folks!