25 Cities with the Least Amount of Time Lost to Traffic

Zarah Hamid

31 March 2024 at 3:06 pm·9-min read

In this article, we will be covering the 25 cities with the least amount of time lost to traffic. If you wish to skip our detailed analysis, you can move directly to the 5 Cities with the Least Amount of Time Lost to Traffic.

Traffic Analysis Across Metros

As reported by INRIX, the trend of hybrid work during the pandemic resulted in a reduced number of trips in metro areas globally. As 2021 commenced, the vehicle volumes and travel times started to rise again. Between 2021 and 2022 in the United States, downtown trips increased in Washington DC by 23%, New York by 17%, and Houston by 11%. During the same period, the highest trip increases in Germany took place in Koln, Berlin, and Frankfurt. In the UK, Birmingham trips rose by 2%.

However, the levels still lag behind the pre-pandemic statistics through many downtowns. The use of public transportation in urban areas has also been low as compared to 2019. Countries with the most efficient public transportation have been previously discussed. In 2022, the highest traffic delay times by city were witnessed in London, Chicago, Paris, Boston, and Bogota.

With soaring vehicular traffic, congestion has emerged as a major concern. To have a metro-level understanding of congestion globally, you can view the most congested cities in the world. Apart from the general inconvenience caused to the drivers, congestion bears economic costs. In this regard, the time lost as a result of congestion is one of the fundamental costs. This is evident from the breakdown of lost hours in 2022 which is 51 hours in the United States, 80 hours in the United Kingdom, and 40 hours in Germany. Another significant cost pertains to fuel. The highest fuel cost amounting to $756 was recorded in the United Kingdom, followed by $651 in Germany, and $546 in the United States. The most expensive cities to drive through in 2023 were reported to be Paris, London, Zurich, Athens, Lausanne, Honolulu, San Francisco, Seattle, San Diego, and Chicago.

Transport Infrastructure in the US

Based on the time lost to traffic, the United States hosts some of the least congested cities globally. The Federal Highway Administration allocates funding of approximately $7 billion to support transportation agencies in planning, designing, and maintaining bridges and structures in the country. Additionally, companies that contribute to improved infrastructure for transport in the country include Sterling Construction Company, Inc. (NASDAQ:STRL), Granite Construction Inc. (NYSE:GVA), and Stantec Inc. (NYSE:STN). Let’s take a look at what these firms have been up to.

Sterling Construction Company, Inc. (NASDAQ:STRL) offers transportation solutions across the US which include infrastructure projects for bridges, roads, and highways. On February 26, Sterling Construction Company, Inc. (NASDAQ:STRL) reported that the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) has awarded two highway projects totaling $78 million to its Road and Highway Builders, LLC (RHB) subsidiary. This includes the $49 million NDOT 3996 Lohantan project, which was planned to start in late February, and the $29 million NDOT 4501 Tonopah project, which will be completed in 2024.

Granite Construction Inc. (NYSE:GVA) is one of the largest diversified construction and construction materials companies in America. The company engages in developing urban and rural transit programs for the country. On January 31, Granite Construction Inc. (NYSE:GVA) reported that it was awarded a contract worth almost $55 million by the City of Tucson. This project aims to widen Grant Road from Palo Verde to Venice to improve traffic flow in Tucson. It has been expected to start in April 2024, while the completion is slated for December 2026.

Stantec Inc. (NYSE:STN) is based in Canada and has worked on numerous roadway projects in Canada, Australia, and the United States. On March 11, the company reported that it will be offering its services for the redevelopment of the City of Pleasanton’s Main Street. The redevelopment will be adding retail and office spaces as well as 200 units of multi-family apartments and has been planned to start in fall 2024. Integrated architecture, engineering, and landscape architecture services will be offered by Stantec Inc. (NYSE:STN) for this purpose.

You can also take a look at the largest construction companies in the US. Keeping the aforementioned context in mind, let’s move to the 25 cities with the least amount of time lost to traffic.

25 Cities with the Least Amount of Time Lost to Traffic

Our Methodology:

In order to compile a list of the 25 cities with the least amount of time lost to traffic, we sourced data from the INTRIX Global Traffic Scorecard and the TomTom Traffic Index. The INTREX Global Traffic Scorecard gives a mobility analysis for more than 1000 cities through the unique commuting patterns within each metro area. Simultaneously, the TomTom Traffic Index covers traffic data of 387 cities in 55 countries. We have incorporated both sources to include cities with the least amount of time lost to traffic from the latest available year. The list is in descending order of the average time lost to traffic per driver in the respective cities, for the latest available year.