GPS Tracking Device Helps Determine Cities with the Worse Traffic

29 May 2012

If you drive in Los Angles, you spend nearly 56 hours per year sitting in stop-and-go traffic. Drivers in Miami cut that time in half, spending roughly 28 hours per year sitting in stop-and-go traffic.

These are just two of the statistics compiled by INRIX, a leading traffic information provider. In its annual Traffic Scorecard Annual Report, INRIX analyzes and compares the status of traffic congestion in the nation’s top 100 cities yearly, which it has been doing since 2007.

INRIX’s Traffic Scorecard is reviewed by a number of sources, including city planners, departments of transportation, economists, academia professionals, and regular, everyday drivers, making its report a trusted resource and benchmark for understanding the nation’s traffic congestion.

In conducting their research for the 2011 study, over 100 million vehicles — including passenger cars, airport shuttles, long haul trucks, and service delivery vans — were equipped with a GPS tracking device. The motorists’ speed, direction, location, and time spent on the road were all captured via these GPS tracker devices.

While not surprising, New York City and LA ranked as two of the most bumper-to-bumper congested cities. Honolulu won the not-so-coveted award of being the most traffic congested citiy; drivers in Honolulu spend an average of 58 hours annually behind the wheel in traffic.

The 2011 Top Ten Worst Cities for Traffic in America and hours wasted, according to INRIX, were:

1. Honolulu (58 hours)
2. Los Angeles (56 hours)
3. San Francisco (48 hours)
4. New York (57 hours
5. Bridgeport, CT (42 hours)
6. Washington, D.C. (45 hours)
7. Seattle (33 hours)
8. Austin (30 hours)
9. Boston (35 hours)
10. Chicago (36 hours)

On average, Americans spend approximately a full work week, or 40 hours per year, sitting behind the wheel in commuter bottlenecks.

Overall, INRIX found a 27 percent drop nationwide in traffic from 2010 to 2011. On the surface this may appear to be a good thing. Yet, the reason for the drop is likely due to a weak employment situation, where less people were employed leading to fewer people on the road heading to work. Add that to higher fuel prices causing people to combine errands or choosing to drive less, it makes perfect sense that there’s been a drop in traffic congestion.

What city had the most improved traffic congestion according to the study? Actually it’s two: the Twin Cities, otherwise known as Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota.

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About George Karonis

George Karonis is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of LiveViewGPS Inc., a company he established in 2008 with the vision of making real-time GPS tracking more reliable, affordable, and accessible for businesses of all sizes. Over the past two decades, he has built a reputation as an innovator in GPS tracking, fleet management, asset monitoring, and Push-to-Talk over Cellular (PTToC) communications. Under George's leadership, LiveViewGPS has grown into a nationally recognized provider of GPS tracking solutions, serving businesses, government agencies, educational institutions, law enforcement organizations, and public works departments throughout the United States. The company's technology helps organizations improve operational efficiency, protect valuable assets, increase driver safety, and reduce operating costs through real-time location intelligence. Before founding LiveViewGPS, George developed a background in security, surveillance, and emerging location technologies. His passion for innovation and practical problem solving has driven the development of products that combine dependable hardware with easy-to-use cloud software, giving customers actionable information when it matters most. In 2018, George expanded into nationwide Push-to-Talk over Cellular communications by launching PeakPTT, providing businesses with rugged, instant communication solutions that operate over LTE and Wi-Fi networks. His focus has remained the same throughout his career: delivering dependable technology backed by exceptional customer service and long-term customer relationships. George regularly writes about GPS tracking, fleet management, asset protection, business technology, and communication systems. Through this blog, he shares industry insights, practical advice, and emerging trends to help organizations make informed decisions about tracking technology and connected operations.