When a big city faces a huge traffic congestion issue, it implies that the economic and business course of the area is thriving. But, instead of patting themselves on the back for a job well done, traffic also imposes a harmful and looming threat to progress. Traffic slows down deliverables, services, and employees on their destination that it cost them money and time. And in this case, the negative immensely outweighs the positive.
In this post, we are going to list down the top 10 cities with worst traffic. If you're planning to move to any of these cities, consider this as a heads-up. Research firm INRIX released this data after they conducted research on cities with heavy traffic. And this is what they have gathered.
For 2019's list of cities with worst traffic, the one sitting on the top spot is the northeastern city of Boston, Massachusetts. According to the INRIX-conducted research, Boston locals spent 164 hours in 2018 in driving alone. Aside from those hours of driving, the local drivers also spent $2,291 from driving (this includes fuel, among others).
The nation's capital is small. Perhaps, that's the reason why it's hard to drive around the city. When you live in Washington, D.C., you may need to spend 155 hours a year to drive around. Plus, you can only drive as fast as 11 mph. Total operating cost for driving in the D.C. area averages around $2,161.
It's probably names the Windy City because you'll end up winded out after long hours of driving. The city of Chicago may be one of the most popular cities in the United States, but it's also the third of the cities with worst traffic. Last year, Chicago locals had to spend 138 hours in traffic and spent $1,920 in the process. According to reports, the city's deteriorating infrastructure is one of the factors to blame.
Start spreading the news! If you want to be a part of the Big Apple, then you have to know it takes a while in New York to drive from Point A to Point B. It's actually a known issue, and the I-95 - aka the worst corridor for traffic - is one of the factors to blame.
Many people sing California Dreamin', but the traffic on this West Coast city is a nightmare. And, just like New York, Los Angeles is infamous for its heavy traffic. Drivers in this city had to spend 128 hours to drive and, as an effect, the city lost $9.3 billion in the process.
Another West Coast city, Seattle claims the 6th spot on this list of cities with worst traffic. Last year, Washington locals lost 138 hours of productivity due to driving, which cost the local government unit $2.9 billion. Two of the main reasons why Seattle has a traffic problem are geography and abundance of trucks around.
The home of the Steelers is also one of the U.S. cities with worst traffic. If you're a local and you've been driving around Pittsburgh every day for the past year, you've spent 127 hours in total. Plus, you have spent $1,776 on the road while you drive as slow as 13 mph.
The bay area is a popular tourist attraction, but it sure doesn't attract people to commute around the city. San Francisco locals had to lose 116 hours last year in traffic, and it cost them $1,624.
Because the city lost $3.3 billion last year due to traffic, Philadelphia managed to take the 9th spot on this list. The good thing, however, is that the city government is looking for ways to combat congestions. The government proposed by getting rid of traffic lights and replacing them with roundabouts. That's a bit of work, but it may just help them get rid of the jam.
And claiming the last spot on this list of cities with worst traffic also caps the major cities on the West Coast. Portland, Oregon's largest city, lost $1.4 billion as local drivers lost 112 hours. But, just like Philly, the Portland government is looking for ways to abolish the problem. They now created the Office of Urban Mobility and Mega Project delivery to monitor the traffic and find ways to ease it.
And these are the cities with worst traffic in the US for 2019. It might change in the coming months as a new study may show. If you're looking for inspected used cars to buy, please click on the link.
