….in THE WORLD…
A new annual study from INRIX has revealed that Boston has the fourth worst traffic in the world and the second worst in the country – which is probably no surprise to anyone that drives in the city.
The traffic analytics company reviewed over 1,000 major cities and found that the average Boston driver spent 134 hours stuck in traffic in 2022. London, where motorists logged 155 hours in traffic, took the No. 1 spot, followed by Chicago and Paris. According to the study, sitting in traffic also hits you in the wallet! The cost of congestion per driver in Boston last year was $2,270.
Boston is also the second worst city in the United States for traffic. Traffic around Boston was much lighter in 2021, during the pandemic, according to INRIX — congestion is up 72% year over year — but still 10% lower than it was in 2019 – back when we were #1 in the country.
The 2022 top five most-congested U.S. cities are Chicago (155 hours) Boston (134) New York (117), Philadelphia (114) and Miami (105).
So between lousy congestion and a terrible public transportation system including buses, maybe we should be investing in a good pair of sneakers or a bicycle.
Maureen Dahill is the editor of Caught in Southie and a lifelong resident of South Boston sometimes mistaken for a yuppie. Co-host of Caught Up, storyteller, lover of red wine and binge watching TV series. Mrs. Peter G. Follow her @MaureenCaught.
Only fourth place? We need to try harder.
It’s not surprising that Boston’s among the very worst when it comes to vehicular traffic and congestion. Ouch!!