The daily commute has returned in force around the world, with more employers asking staff to resume driving into offices as the pandemic recedes. And nowhere is that commute worse than in London, Chicago and Paris.
A typical driver in the United Kingdom spent about 80 hours in traffic last year, according to data from transport research company INRIX Research. It found that those in the United States averaged more than 50 hours behind the wheel, even though pandemic-related shifts such as remote work and hybrid schedules appear to have permanently altered the traditional rush-hour routine.
Commuters in London led the world in driving commute time, spending an average of almost 160 hours stuck in traffic last year. The global metropolis was one of many cities across the U.K. that collectively averaged 72% more traffic congestion than before the pandemic, according to the study.
Drivers in New York — the third-worst congested U.S. city behind Chicago and Boston — spent an average of 117 hours stuck in traffic, costing each of them nearly $2,000 in increased fuel use and time wasted. Drivers in Chicago spent 155 hours stuck behind the wheel, ahead of 134 hours for those in Boston.
In Canada, Toronto was the worst, at 118 hours.