London still the most congested city in the world

London’s roads have been ranked the most congested in the world according to the 2022 Global Traffic Scorecard, produced annually by global mobility analytics and connected car services company INRIX. 

The Traffic Scorecard assesses congestion and mobility trends in more than 1,000 cities, across 50 countries, and London’s inauspicious ranking sees it top the list for the second year in a row. According to INRIX, London drivers annually spend 156 hours sitting in congestion which is five percent above pre-pandemic delays.

Globally London was closely followed by Chicago at 155 hours lost through congestion. The world’s worst 10 cities identified in the survey were:

10 Most Congested Cities in the World in 2022

City                 Hours lost       Change from Pre-Covid        

1 London           156                    +5%    

2  Chicago         155                    +7%    

3  Paris               138                    -16%   

4  Boston            134                   -10%   

5  New York        117                    -16%   

6  Bogota           122                    -36%

7  Palermo         121                     -12%   

8  Toronto           118                    -13%   

9  Philidelphia   114                     -20%

10 Miami             105                    +30%  

UK data shows drivers in London (156 hours), Bristol (91 hours), and Manchester (84 hours) lost the most time to traffic congestion. The average UK driver lost 80 hours due to traffic congestion last year – up 7 hours from last year but down 35 hours from 2019.

Cambridge, Exeter, and Cheltenham – present on the UK Top 10 list in 2021 – fell out of the top 10, replaced by Edinburgh (7th), Leeds (9th) and Leicester (10th).

The analysis suggests nearly three-quarters (79 of the 110) of the UK urban areas analysed equalled or exceeded pre-COVID delays.

Bob Pishue, transportation analyst and author of the report said, “It is great to see civic and commercial life returning to normal, but unfortunately, we’re seeing congestion inching closer to, if not exceeding, pre- pandemic levels. We must manage congestion while improving mobility and accessibility in cities to avoid it hurting economic recovery and impacting the quality of life of commuters and residents.

“Access to reliable data is the first step in tackling congestion. Applying big data to create intelligent transportation systems is key to solving urban mobility problems. INRIX data and analytics on mobility, traffic and traffic signals, parking and population movement help city planners and engineers make data-based decisions to prioritise spending to maximise benefits and reduce costs now and into the future.

“The key findings of the INRIX 2022 Global Traffic Scorecard provide a quantifiable benchmark for governments and cities across the world to measure progress to improve urban mobility and track the impact of spending on smart city initiatives.”

See the full Traffic Scorecard at www.inrix.com/scorecard