TomTom Traffic Index: Congestion Up, but New Technologies Show Promise in the U.S.

Cities Investing in Traffic Mitigation Tactics See Steady Improvements in Traffic Congestion

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Jun 03, 2019, 18:01 ET

AMSTERDAM, June 3, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- TomTom (TOM2), the location technology specialist, today released the TomTom Traffic Index, a report that provides drivers, city planners, auto manufacturers and policy makers with unbiased statistics and information about congestion levels in 403 cities across 56 countries around the world. Now in its eighth year, the TomTom Traffic Index offers the most-data driven insight into congestion in urban areas and ideas about how traffic can be alleviated.

Los Angeles takes the top spot in the U.S. this year with drivers spending an average of 41 percent extra travel time stuck in traffic. Following Los Angeles, the top five most congested cities in the U.S. are rounded out by New York, N.Y. (36 percent), San Francisco (34 percent), San Jose, Calif. (32 percent), and Seattle, Wash. (31 percent), respectively.

Ranking of the most congested cities in U.S (Overall daily congestion level – extra travel time):

1	Los Angeles, CA	41%	6	Miami, FL	30%
2	New York, NY	36%	7	Chicago, IL	28%
3	San Francisco, CA	34%	8	Washington, D.C.	28%
4	San Jose, CA	32%	9	Honolulu, HI	28%
5	Seattle, WA	31%	10	Atlanta, GA	26%

The Global Picture: Congestion on the Rise
Traffic congestion has increased globally during the past decade, and nearly 75 percent of the cities TomTom includes in the new Traffic Index report had increased or stable congestion levels between 2017 and 2018, with only 90 cities showing measurable decreases.

Ralf-Peter Schaefer, TomTom's VP of Traffic information, said: "Globally, traffic congestion is rising. And that's both good and bad news. It's good because traffic increases often indicate a strong economy, but the flip side is drivers wasting time sitting in traffic, not to mention the huge environmental impact."

Significant differences appear when comparing continents: for example, many of the biggest decreases were found in Asia, with most significant dips found in Jakarta (-8%), while nearly every city in South America posted increases, the largest (8%) identified in Lima, Peru.

North America's top five most congested cities are Mexico City (52%), Los Angeles (41%), Vancouver (38%), New York (36%), and San Francisco (34%).

Hope on the Horizon
In the U.S., cities can learn from Portland, Ore. and Salt Lake City, Utah, where congestion improved by 3 percent and 2 percent, respectively. Both cities have found success deploying traffic reduction measures, and for many years, invested heavily in sophisticated traffic light optimization, bike infrastructure, light rail transit, and reductions to parking availability. In New Haven, Conn., the city has embraced integrated transit, bicycle, and pedestrian options and to ensure job growth happens in locations with non-car commuting options which has also resulted in a 2 percent congestion dip.

Nick Cohn, Senior Traffic Expert, TomTom, comments: "Traffic congestion is a fact of life for every driver – and this year's Traffic Index results show that the problem isn't going away. Although it's no surprise that cities like Los Angeles, New York City and San Francisco continue to rank at the top of the list as the most congested cities in the U.S. due to various factors, we've been pleased to uncover some positive developments in cities like Portland and Salt Lake City, which might serve as examples for other cities."

About the TomTom Traffic Index

TomTom has been collecting traffic information and providing traffic services for nearly a decade, allowing drivers to make smarter choices in route planning and avoiding congestion. TomTom's work on the future of driving – from high definition maps for autonomous vehicles, to efficient electric vehicle routing and charging – means that car makers, technology companies, road authorities and governments already have the tools to make the roads less congested.

"At TomTom, we're working towards a future where vehicles are electric, shared and autonomous so that our future really is free of congestion and emissions," adds Schaefer. "We have the technology to make this future happen – but it takes a collaborative effort. From road authorities, to governments; car makers to car drivers, we all have a part to play."

For more details about the TomTom Traffic Index, and to explore interactive rankings, visit www.tomtom.com/traffic-index. There's also helpful advice on beating traffic congestion. The Traffic Index website offers easy access to exploring city statistics and insights – as well as real-time, live traffic information.

Ranking of the most congested cities Globally (Overall daily congestion level – extra travel time – population over 800,000):

1	Mumbai, India	65%	6	Istanbul, Turkey	53%
2	Bogota, Colombia	63%	7	Jakarta, Indonesia	53%
3	Lima, Peru	58%	8	Bangkok, Thailand	53%
4	New Delhi, India	58%	9	Mexico City, Mexico	52%
5	Moscow, Russia	56%	10	Recife, Brazil	49%

Ranking of the most congested cities in Europe (Overall daily congestion level – extra travel time – population over 800,000):

1	Moscow, Russia	56%	6	Novosibirsk, Russia	44%
2	Istanbul, Turkey	53%	7	Athens, Greece	40%
3	Bucharest, Romania	48%	8	Rome, Italy	39%
4	Saint Petersburg, Russia	47%	9	Warsaw, Poland	39%
5	Kiev, Ukraine	46%	10	Yekaterinburg, Russia	37%

Ranking of the most congested cities in North America (Overall daily congestion level – extra travel time – population over 800,000):

1	Mexico City, Mexico	52%	6	Toronto, Canada	32%
2	Los Angeles, USA	41%	7	San Jose, USA	32%
3	Vancouver, Canada	38%	8	Seattle, USA	32%
4	New York, USA	36%	9	Miami, USA	30%
5	San Francisco, USA	34%	10	Chicago, USA	28%

Ranking of the most congested cities in South America (Overall daily congestion level – extra travel time – population over 800,000):

1	Bogota, Colombia	63%	6	Santiago, Chile	40%
2	Lima, Peru	58%	7	Salvador, Brazil	38%
3	Recife, Brazil	49%	8	Buenos Aires, Argentina	36%
4	Sao Paolo, Brazil	42%	9	Fortaleza, Brazil	35%
5	Rio De Janeiro	42%	10	Porto Alegre, Brazil	33%

Ranking of the most congested cities in Asia (Overall daily congestion level – extra travel time – population over 800,000):

1	Mumbai, India	65%	6	Tel Aviv, Israel	42%
2	New Delhi, India	58%	7	Zhuhai, China	42%
3	Jakarta, Indonesia	53%	8	Guangzhou, China	42%
4	Bangkok, Thailand	53%	9	Tokyo, Japan	41%
5	Chongqing, China	44%	10	Beijing, China	40%

Ranking of the most congested cities in Africa (Overall daily congestion level – extra travel time – all population sizes):

1	Cairo, Egypt	44%	6	Durban, S. Africa	18%
2	Cape Town, S. Africa	31%	7	Bloemfontein, S. Africa	12%
3	Johannesburg, S. Africa	30%
4	Pretoria, S. Africa	25%
5	East London, S. Africa	20%

Ranking of the most congested cities in Australia and Oceania (Overall daily congestion level – extra travel time – all population sizes):

1	Sydney, Australia	34%	6	Adelaide, Australia	23%
2	Auckland, New Zealand	29%	7	Gold Coast, Australia	23%
3	Melbourne, Australia	29%	8	Hamilton, New Zealand	22%
4	Wellington, New Zealand	27%	9	Christchurch, New Zealand	21%
5	Brisbane, Australia	25%	10	Hobart, New Zealand	21%

About TomTom
TomTom is the leading independent location technology specialist, shaping mobility with highly accurate maps, navigation software, real-time traffic information and services.

To achieve our vision of a safer world, free of congestion and emissions, we create innovative technologies that keep the world moving. By combining our extensive experience with leading business and technology partners, we power connected vehicles, smart mobility and, ultimately, autonomous driving.

Headquartered in Amsterdam with offices in 30 countries, TomTom's technologies are trusted by hundreds of millions of people worldwide.
www.tomtom.com

SOURCE TomTom