Nobody likes sitting in traffic, but according to a study by TomTom, taking a shortcut won’t get you to work any faster.
TomTom’s fourth annual global traffic index revealed that taking secondary roads to avoid congestion can actually add 50% more travel time to journeys. Globally, TomTom says that the average commuter will spend eight working days a year trapped in gridlock.
The study also revealed the most congested cities in Canada for 2013. The cities where rush hour is most infuriating are as follows:
1. Vancouver
2. Toronto
3. Ottawa
4. Montreal
5. Calgary
6. Quebec
7. Edmonton
Like last year, Vancouver wins the award for most congested city and the average driver in that city with a 30-minute commute will spend 87 hours delayed in traffic every year. Vancouver ranks as the fifth most congested city in the world behind Rio de Janeiro, Mexico City, Sao Paulo and Los Angeles, respectively. Toronto ranks second most congested in Canada and ninth in the world.
“Traffic congestion is nothing new, and continues to be a global challenge,” TomTom CEO Harold Goddijn said in a press release. “The traditional responses to congestion, such as building new roads or widening existing ones are no longer proving to be effective. Real time traffic information can help drivers find the quickest shortcut on their journey, and assist governments to make smarter decisions to improve traffic flow for their cities.”
Want to avoid congestion? Well, you could move to the least congested city on the list, Kansas City, where drivers can expect just 12 minutes of delay per hour when driving in rush hour. But if the great plains of Kansas aren’t calling your name, rail transit and commuting off of peak times are still your best bet to beat gridlock.
