Think your city is the nation’s worst for traffic? Well, if you happen to live in Los Angeles, California, you’re right, E3 Spark Plugs just learned. The most recent TomTom Traffic Index, the annual report detailing the cities around the world with the most traffic congestion, the City of Angels is downright devilish for rush hour drivers. In fact, West Coast cities dominated the top 10 list of most congested locales, but bustling metro areas in the South are close behind.
Researchers found that LA had an overall congestion level of 41 percent in 2015, a two-percent boost from 2014. Congestion is measured by extra time travelers spend on both highways and non-highways vs. free-flowing conditions any time of the day, but particularly during the morning and afternoon rushes between home and work. During rush hour in LA, a commute that typically takes half an hour in light traffic takes 81 percent longer in the morning and 60 percent longer in the evening. Overall, gridlocked traffic jams caused travelers to rack up 164 additional hours a year stuck in the car, likely blaring the radio and uttering the occasional explicative. That’s almost a full week, day and night.
Here’s how list of the top 10 cities, along with their overall daily overall congestion levels, played out in 2015:
- Los Angeles, CA – 41 percent
- San Francisco, CA – 36 percent
- New York, NY – 33 percent
- Seattle, WA – 31 percent
- San Jose, CA – 30 percent
- Honolulu, HI – 29 percent
- Miami, FL – 28 percent
- Washington, DC – 26 percent
- Portland, OR – 26 percent
- Chicago, IL – 26 percent
The fastest-growing cities in the South also ranked high on the list with Houston taking the 11th spot, Atlanta ranking at 13, Tampa at 15, Orlando at 16, Baton Rouge at 18, Nashville at 19 and Austin at 21.
A few lucky drivers actually enjoyed an easier commute in 2015 over 2014. Those in Las Vegas, Denver, Tucson, St. Louis, Detroit, Minneapolis and Milwaukee spent less time on the roadways. But nobody had it as easy as the Midwest mainstays, Kansas City, Indianapolis, Omaha-Council Bluffs, Iowa and Dayton.
What’s the longest you’ve spent in rush hour traffic? Post your behind-the-wheel horror stories on the E3 Spark Plugs Facebook Fan Page.
