Toronto Traffic Was Ranked Among The Worst In The World For 2023 & Even NYC Was Better

Navigating through seemingly endless traffic is a frustrating experience, and if you live in Toronto, this reality might hit a little too close to home.

A recent study by map technology specialist TomTom ranked cities around the world based on traffic travel times and congestion in 2023 and Toronto came at number three on the list. This makes it the third slowest city in the world for average traffic travel time.

Why you should care: According to the study, Toronto's average travel time per 10 kilometres was 29 minutes, up 55 seconds from 2022.

The city's congestion level, meaning the "average additional time (in percent) lost to traffic in 2023, compared to free-flowing conditions" was 42% and drivers lost an average of 98 hours per year during rush hour commutes. The average speed during rush hour was just 18 kilometres per hour.

At the top of the list for the worst traffic in the world was London, U.K, with an average travel time of 37 minutes, 20 seconds per 10 kilometres, followed by Dublin at 29 minutes and 30 seconds.

Toronto even beat out major U.S cities including New York (number 20) and Los Angeles (number 233).

The next Canadian city on the list was Vancouver, further down at number 32. The city's average travel time was 23 minutes, up 30 seconds from 2022.

What they’re saying: "City staff have been working on an enhanced approach to manage congestion in Toronto," Russell Baker, Manager, Media Relations and Issues Management, City of Toronto said in a statement to Narcity. "The Congestion Management Plan (2023-2026) contains a wide variety of proactive initiatives that can help manage traffic congestion in the city and maintain safety for all road users."

The Congestion Management Plan covers key areas including technology to optimize traffic signal operations, increasing traffic agents in high density areas, construction coordination and online tools and special event traffic teams.

ICYMI: To determine the traffic rankings, the study analyzed 387 cities across 55 countries on 6 continents based on variables like average travel time, fuel costs, and CO₂ emissions. The full ranking can be found on the TomTom website.

Keep reading: Even celebs aren't safe from dreaded car-jams. During the Toronto International Film Festival in September, actor Andrew Phung commented on the city's traffic situation.

Editor's Note: This article has been updated.