Reports show Boston had Nation’s Worst Traffic Commute in 2018

The average Boston driver wasted an average of 164 hours commuting in rush-hour traffic in 2018, the highest total among U.S cities. According to new reports published from research firm INRIX, Boston was rated as having the worst rush-hour traffic congestion in 2018. The company analyzes millions of data for it’s annual Global Traffic Scorecard, and Boston has consistently ranked very badly. 

INRIX also looked at commutes in terms of peak (slowest travel times) versus inter-peak (fastest point between morning and afternoon commutes) travel times. In Boston on average, commutes increased 27 percent during peak versus inter-peak hours. Fortunately, there was some positive news in the recently published data report. In cities like Boston, Washington, D.C, and Chicago, a higher proportion of trips were found to be taken via public transportation, walking, or even cycling. Any car trips were most likely related to business. Conversely, Los Angeles ranked as the most car-dependent city in the nation. On the bright side, Boston’s title as the U.S city with the worst possible traffic may pave the road towards lawmakers making the T lower in price or fare-free.