Metro Vancouver has some of the worst traffic in North America, study finds

A photo of traffic congestion is seen here.

An annual traffic study suggests drivers in Metro Vancouver have been dealing with some of the worst traffic in North America.

According to the 2022 TomTom Traffic Index, Metro Vancouver has the second-worst traffic of any metro area in North America.

While it ranked below Mexico City, Metro Vancouver ranked higher on the list than any over Canadian city, sitting just above Halifax and Winnipeg.

It reportedly took drivers an average of 15 minutes and 10 seconds to travel 10 km within Metro Vancouver last year. A number that’s up by 40 seconds from 2021.

The index also found that the average driver in Metro Vancouver spent 132 hours in rush-hour traffic in 2022, going an average speed of 35 km/h.

This year’s #TomTomTrafficIndex covers 389 cities across 56 countries and 6 continents, and we have the answer on which cities were hit by the worst #traffic. Is your city one of them? Follow this link to find out.... https://t.co/WACEpU2FK3 pic.twitter.com/BMIzUKYtP9

— TomTom (@TomTom) February 19, 2023

In terms of traffic in a city centre, the index declared Vancouver as having the fourth worst amount of traffic in North America, with Toronto, New York, and Mexico City topping the list.

Last year, Vacouverites reportedly spent an average of average 22 minutes and 30 seconds travelling 10 km within city limits, up by 50 seconds from 2021.

In total those living in the city spent an average of 197 hours in rush-hour traffic last year, travelling at 24 km/h on average.

The index suggests the increase in traffic could have to do with more people heading back to the office following the COVID-19 pandemic.

The index found that in 2022, travel times rose in 62 per cent of the cities examined.

According to TomTom, the travel times looked at in 389 cities in 56 countries world-wide were based on a combination of static factors such as road infrastructure, as well as dynamic factors including traffic congestion. 

The index did not take into account housing, population density, or access to public transit.