Circuit recently released a new study in which they ranked the worst U.S. cities for driving and, unsurprisingly to all of us, NYC took the number one spot.
Based on data from the TomTom Traffic Index Ranking, INRIX Global Traffic Scorecard, and NHTSA Fatality and Injury Reporting System, Circuit looked at a number of factors, including:
- Congestion level
- Number of traffic jams & traffic jam length
- Hours lost during congestion
- Driving speeds
- Distracted driving fatalities
New York City came out on top as the worst city for driving, scoring a total of 78.75.
Los Angeles, which is also highly known for its driving-induced headaches, scored a bit further down in the fifth spot with a total of 53.23. In between were Chicago (71.56), Miami (57.32), and Austin (55.59).
And not only that, but NYC is also the most congested city as well.
New York City won the unfortunate title of the most congested city, with a 35% congestion level. This means that, on average, it can take 35% longer to get somewhere during periods of high traffic congestion in New York. For example, a trip that normally takes 30 minutes could take 10-11 minutes longer during rush hour. It’s certainly bound to cause some headaches.
At the end of the day it’s no surprise that NYC is the worst city for driving, and why many NYers don’t even own a car or have a license.
Though public transport definitely comes along with a headache of its own (think: MTA fares being increased), and car services such as Uber aren’t always an option (ours are the most expensive out of any U.S. city!).
The full study can be found here, but one thing’s for sure–we’ll just stick to walking whenever possible.