Moscow is world’s most gridlocked city, says Inrix

Moscow is the most gridlocked city in the world, according to a survey of snarl-ups by Inrix. The company’s annual Global Traffic Scorecard found that road users in the Russian capital lost 210 hours last year because of congestion. Inrix weights the data for population, and found that the next four cities on the congestion roll-call were Istanbul, Turkey; Bogota, Colombia; Mexico City; and São Paulo, Brazil. Brazil had another entry on this unwanted list, with Rio de Janeiro in seventh place. Russ
February 21, 2019 Read time: 2 mins
Moscow is the most gridlocked city in the world, according to a survey of snarl-ups by 163 Inrix.


The company’s annual Global Traffic Scorecard found that road users in the Russian capital lost 210 hours last year because of congestion.

Inrix weights the data for population, and found that the next four cities on the congestion roll-call were Istanbul, Turkey; Bogota, Colombia; Mexico City; and São Paulo, Brazil.

Brazil had another entry on this unwanted list, with Rio de Janeiro in seventh place. Russia’s St Petersburg came in ninth.

“The dominance of Latin American cities should not be a surprise due to their rapid urbanisation, high levels of informal settlements, unforgiving topographies and financial volatility,” Inrix suggests.

The top 10 was completed by London, UK (sixth); Boston, US (eighth); and Italian capital Rome (tenth).

Although not featuring in the top 10, Dublin, Ireland received its own dubious accolade: it has the slowest city centre speeds in the world, Inrix says, with an average of just 6mph during peak hours. This means it would almost be quicker to walk at certain times, and certainly makes cycling look like an attractive option for commuters.

Edinburgh and London tied for the title of UK’s slowest city, with last-mile speeds of 7mph.

Urban Traffic Control

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • New services and equipment helps cities tackle air quality issues
    September 19, 2017
    With poor urban air quality shortening lives and fines being imposed for breaching pollution limits, authorities are seeking ways to clean up their cities. Poor air quality is topping the agenda for city authorities across the globe. In the UK, for example, a report from the Royal Colleges of Physicians and of Paediatrics and Child Health, concluded that poor outdoor air quality shortens the lives of around 40,000 people a year – principally by undermining the health of people with heart and/or lung prob
    Read More
  • Motown morphs into Mobility City
    August 7, 2018
    Detroit was once a byword for urban decay – but ITS America recently held its annual meeting there. This gave David Arminas a chance to assess how fast Motor City is moving down the road to recovery. Motor City, as Detroit is still called, was on its financial knees only five short years ago. The future looked bleak as the city and greater urban area bled jobs and population. It was on 18 July 2013 that Motown, as Detroit is also known, filed for Chapter 9 bankruptcy protection, the
    Read More
  • C40 mayors make global ‘clean air’ pledge
    October 11, 2019
    In a move that will have significant implications for urban transit, 35 mayors at this week’s C40 World Mayors Summit in Copenhagen have pledged to “implement substantive clean air policies by 2025”. Among other developments, this is likely to mean further increases in low- or zero-carbon public transport and zero-emissions zones, along with enhanced incentives and infrastructure to support walking and cycling, in cities worldwide. Signing the C40 Clean Air Cities Declaration, the mayors signalled their
    Read More
  • EVs & smart cities: Tritium keeps things moving
    December 3, 2018
    Electric vehicles are widely expected to play a major role in the smarter, cleaner cities of the future. Paul Sernia explains why – and looks at the place of ultra-rapid chargers as part of a versatile public infrastructure Electric vehicles (EVs) are widely expected to play a major role in the smarter, cleaner cities of the future. With no dirty tailpipe, EVs can help improve the polluted air of inner cities. And when deployed as widely shared assets – through car clubs, ride-sharing services and taxi
    Read More

Highlighted Content