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Inrix Statistics: 43 Hours of Traffic Jam - Car Commuters Are Taking Longer and Longer

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(dpa) The car-friendly city has long reached its limits: Although Germany has a very good infrastructure, it is often unusable, says a traffic expert. And: There are too many vehicles on the road at the same time. On average, commuters spent 43 hours in traffic jams, with Düsseldorf leading at 60 hours. The trend of Inrix data aligns with the TomTom analysis. In the city, people move at cycling speed. Time means money: 470 euros per driver, totaling 3.6 billion.

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Snail's pace: Traffic is congested during the morning rush hour at the Heckenstallerstraße tunnel on the Mittlerer Ring. | Photo: dpa/Matthias Balk
Snail's pace: Traffic is congested during the morning rush hour at the Heckenstallerstraße tunnel on the Mittlerer Ring. | Photo: dpa/Matthias Balk
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Construction sites, dilapidated infrastructure, and congested roads are increasingly testing the patience of drivers in Germany. An average commuter spent 43 hours in traffic jams last year - 3 hours more than the previous year, according to an analysis by the traffic data service provider Inrix. The time loss is significantly higher in the cities at the top of the ranking. For the first time, Düsseldorf is the hardest hit, with drivers experiencing a time loss of 60 hours and an increase of 22 percent, placing it in first place. Inrix sells traffic analyses, among other things, to administrations and companies. For the ranking, the service provider analyzed anonymized data from phones and vehicles.

In Wuppertal, commuters lose 34 percent more time than the previous year

Following North Rhine-Westphalia's state capital are Berlin, which was still in first place in 2023, and Stuttgart, each with 58 hours of time loss, as well as Cologne (56) and Munich (55). The next positions: Frankfurt (48), Hanover (47), Bonn (46), Hamburg (44), and Wuppertal (43). In all these cities, time loss increased, with Wuppertal experiencing a 34 percent rise. This trend aligns with a new analysis of traffic patterns by mapping specialist TomTom. According to this analysis, traffic flowed more slowly on average in most German cities in 2024 compared to the previous year. Average speeds decreased in 23 out of 29 cities surveyed. In only 4 cities did traffic flow improve.

In addition to time loss, the high congestion time also means a loss of money: The average driver loses €470 in traffic jams, and the total cost to the economy amounts to €3.6 billion. Inrix expects a further increase in congestion hours for 2025.

Advancing at bicycle speed

According to Inrix, trips into Munich's city center after the waning of the COVID-19 pandemic increased by another ten percent in 2024. Due to numerous construction sites, the lowest average speeds nationwide were measured at 21 kilometers per hour on the last kilometers into the city center. TomTom reported slightly higher values with an average speed of 25 kilometers per hour in the city center. Consequently, travel time for a ten-kilometer route slightly increased to just under 24 minutes on average. In the larger "Metro Area," the average speed slightly decreased to 48 kilometers per hour, while travel time for a ten-kilometer route rose to just under twelve and a half minutes. 

Construction sites as the main reason

Why is it that commuters in Germany spend almost two days a year in traffic jams on average? Regarding the substantial increase in Düsseldorf, the authors attribute this to numerous construction sites on heavily trafficked highway sections around Düsseldorf, such as the A46 and A59. Nationwide, the causes are more varied, as traffic expert Michael Schreckenberg from the University of Duisburg-Essen states. However, he also cites the many construction sites - both on highways and in city centers - as one of the main reasons. Germany has very good infrastructure in itself - if it were usable, Schreckenberg tells the German Press Agency. But:

"We have done nothing to maintain it. And now it's catching up with us." 

According to Autobahn GmbH, there are currently more than 500 construction sites on highways alone. The duration of construction sites currently averages 505 days, a spokesperson reported. This is about 80 days more than the previous year, as complex bridge modernizations have become the focus.

"Ultimately, too many vehicles are on the road at the same time"

Additionally, many employees have to return to the office after the COVID-19 pandemic. The home office era is over in many industries, says Schreckenberg. The Inrix numbers also suggest this trend. There was a dramatic increase in trips to the city center. For instance, in Hamburg, the increase was 31 percent, in Berlin 27 percent, and in Frankfurt 26 percent. Public transportation is not an alternative for many due to its unreliability, Schreckenberg says. Many do not want to take this risk and would rather accept the more or less predictable time in traffic jams. An ADAC spokesperson sums it up with a simple formula:

"Ultimately, too many vehicles are on the road at the same time."

The increase in traffic jam time is partly due to higher traffic volumes, especially in individual transportation, and numerous construction sites.

In Istanbul and New York, commuters lose more than 100 hours

In international comparison, German commuters get off relatively lightly. For the first time, Istanbul tops the list worldwide, with an average time loss of 105 hours, followed by New York and Chicago (each 102 hours). London is the first European city with 101 hours behind it. In Paris, drivers spend an average of 97 hours in traffic jams—ranking sixth worldwide. 

In 53 out of 73 examined areas in Germany, as well as in 69 of the 100 globally most affected cities, delays increased compared to the previous year. "The results for 2024 make it clear that traffic growth remains unchecked worldwide, while the infrastructure of many cities is reaching its limits," said Bob Pishue from Inrix. In the long term, it will be crucial to manage traffic efficiently and promote innovative mobility strategies.

Artificial intelligence could help manage traffic

So how could it get better? The infrastructure will remain a problematic issue for years to come, says traffic jam expert Schreckenberg. He calls for at least better coordination and organization of construction sites, for instance between municipalities, the Autobahn GmbH, and the railway. The ADAC spokesperson also advocates for well-coordinated construction site management. Moreover, infrastructure must be maintained early to avoid ad-hoc measures and closures. Shifting traffic to the railway could also help—but the rail network in Germany is also outdated and dilapidated.

Translated automatically from German.
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