NYC has just been ranked the most congested city in the world—here’s why

Being the best city in the world comes at a price: for the second year in a row, transportation analytics firm INRIX’s Global Traffic Scorecard has ranked NYC as the world’s most congested town, with drivers spending an average of four full days stuck in traffic annually. How lovely. 

To come up with its report, which you can read through in full right here, the firm looks at data collected from 947 different urban areas across 37 countries, taking into account factors like commuting trends, travel delays, costs and more.

Lest you think the survey to be a fun case study, think again: Bob Pishue, a transportation analyst at INRIX, told Bloomberg that traffic congestion can function as "a barometer of economic health." As a result, officials may want to start thinking about ways to solve the problem—especially now that the much talked about NYC congestion pricing plan, a project that was supposed to alleviate traffic all around town, has been put on hold indefinitely.

“The surge in traffic congestion in urban areas indicated a revival of economic hubbub post-COVID, but it also led to billions of dollars in lost time for drivers,” Pishue said to the outlet.

In terms of New York in specific, the study identified the busiest local road as the four-mile area on the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway from the Long Island Expressway to Tillary Street—a stretch of road that will only get worse in terms of traffic when the city kicks off its much-needed repair project (albeit not until 2029).

The top 10 list of most congested cities across the world is rounded out by Mexico City, London, Paris, Chicago, Istanbul, Los Angeles, Boston, Cape Town and Jakarta. Clearly, things need to change in the U.S.

How congested is New York City?

According to INRIX's Global Traffic Scorecard, motorists driving through NYC last year lost about 101 hours of their time.

Downtown Manhattan in particular saw a 13% increase in area trips, with cars driving at an average speed of 11 miles per hour during peak morning hours. That's actually an 11% drop from the same time back in 2023. 

Things are likely only going to get worse, though, given the indefinite pause on the congestion pricing plan.

Why is there so much traffic in NYC?

The survey has identified a very big problem, but why is is there so much traffic in NYC?

Clearly a hub for all industries, the city is home to a ton of businesses that employ folks from all over the state.

As Pishue's statement indicates, a post-COVID lifestyle may have also influenced the data: some folks have moved out of the city but now work on a hybrid schedule that may require them to come in every so often.

Basically: New York is popular and people want to spend time here