Toronto IS one of the worst cities for traffic congestion in the world

February 14, 2023, Kitchener, Ontario

Posted by: Robert Deutschmann, Personal Injury Lawyer

A recent survey conducted by Inrix has confirmed what anyone who has driven in or through Toronto in the last decade already knew. Driving in Toronto is a terrible experience. Now we know it is among the worst driving experiences in the world. Toronto ranks ahead of New York City.

The Inrix study ranked Toronto 7th globally for total congestion concluding that in 2022 people in Toronto lost an average of 118 hours a year due to commuting. That’s up a whopping 59% from 2021. 

Toronto also tops the list as number one for the most congested city in the nation. These aren’t the top ten lists that most cities want to be on. 

Inrix collects GPS data from phones and vehicles to establish the rankings. According to their website, the average travel speed in Toronto during peak commute times was 32km/h in 2022 down from 50 km/h in 2019. Off-peak travel times were consistent at around 61 km/h.

Can't we just build more highways to solve the problem?

Experts say that building more highways only eases traffic issues briefly as they will fill up again. This phenomenon is called induced demand. As people perceive the conditions are better more of them chose to drive. Combined with the uncontrolled GTA sprawl that is encouraging people to live farther and farther from the city, the new is bad for commuters.

Why does it matter?

Congestion is not simply a waste of time and a cause of frustration but it also carries an enormous economic cost. The report concludes:

In addition to lost time, negative externalities like freight delay, inflationary pressure and environmental impact are generally exacerbated due to traffic congestion. While not measured in this report, these externalities decrease the quality of life across globe.

Another large cost of travel is fuel. Throughout 2022, global oil prices resulted in increased fuel costs to travelers. INRIX quantified how much a typical commute costs in each country as well as in key cities based on commute-specific travel data.

Traffic safety is also a concern as congestion increases. The number of collisions in Canada in 2022 increased by 4% over 2019. Traffic safety experts and car manufacturers are responding by increasing safety features in cars (lane drift warnings, emergency braking, and automatic collision avoidance). 

The report has a great deal of useful information and you can download it for free here.

Have you been in a car accident?

If you or a family member are seriously injured in a motor vehicle accident while commuting to work or for pleasure please contact one of our experienced personal injury lawyers right away. We’ll help you navigate the complex insurance claims system and make sure that your rights are protected. Don’t face your situation alone.

About Deutschmann Law

Deutschmann Law serves South-Western Ontario with offices in Kitchener-Waterloo, Cambridge, Woodstock, Brantford, Stratford and Ayr. The law practice of Robert Deutschmann focuses almost exclusively in personal injury and disability insurance matters. For more information, please visit www.deutschmannlaw.com or call us toll-free at 1-519-742-7774.

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