GROWING ECONOMY DRIVES TRAFFIC CONGESTION UP IN OVER THREE QUARTERS OF UK CITIES INRIX Traffic Scorecard Report reveals congestion increased in 77% of UK cities UK climbs to 5 th for worst traffic in Europe in 201 with drivers wasting approximately 30 hours in gridlock North Staffordshire and Greater Coventry saw the biggest increases in congestion London was Europe s most congested city in 201, with drivers spending 96 hours in traffic A 10-mile stretch of the A217 in London was the most congested road; costing drivers 139 hours LONDON, UK 2 August 2015: INRIX, a leading provider of real-time traffic information and connected driving services, has published its Traffic Scorecard Report revealing UK drivers wasted an average of 30 hours in congestion during 201. The UK climbed one place to fifth in the list of Europe s most congested countries, although UK motorists spent 21 fewer hours in traffic than those in Belgium, Europe s most congested country, where drivers spent 51 hours stuck in gridlock in 201. The UK economy grew by 2.8% last year, its highest rise since 2006 and faster than any other major developed country and double the European Union average of 1.% 1. Levels of unemployment also decreased in 201 by 21% from 2013 2. These factors, which are driving up consumer spending as well as spurring roadwork and construction projects nationwide, had a big impact on traffic with an increase of private and commercial vehicles on the road and more people commuting to work by car. Traffic congestion was up in 1 of the 18 UK metropolitan areas in 201, compared to 9 in 18 in 2013. The biggest increases in congestion were seen in North Staffordshire (+37%) and Greater Coventry (+33%) where drivers sat idle in traffic for 26 and 28 hours respectively. Rising congestion levels in the Coventry area were the result of extensive, long-term roadwork schemes such as Tollbar Island 3. Population growth and urbanisation are key drivers of congestion, and the UK s population grew by 91,100 last year, reaching a record high. London s population also experienced high growth in 201, increasing by 122,100 people. This contributed to drivers in the capital spending 96 hours on average stuck in traffic, 1 hours more than in 2013, resulting in London becoming Europe s most congested city. UK s ten most congested metropolitan areas in 201 (ranked by annual hours wasted): Rank UK Metropolitan Area Hours Wasted in 201 Change from 2013 (in hours) 1 London commute zone 96 1 2 Gr. Manchester 52 6 3 Merseyside 37-1 Gr. Belfast 37 6 5 Gr. Birmingham 37 3 6 S. Nottinghamshire 35-7 Avon & N. Staffordshire 30 6 8 Leeds-Bradford 29 9 Coventry & Warwickshire 28 7 10 N. Staffordshire 26 7 1 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-32126975 2 http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/lms/labour-market-statistics/february-2015/statistical-bulletin.html 3 http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/coventrys-tollbar-island-worst-roadworks-7967655 http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/dcp171778_06922.pdf
For the third year running, traffic in the UK is up, said Bryan Mistele, President and CEO, INRIX. The strong growth of the UK economy and rise in urban populations have resulted in an increase in the demand for road travel, significantly driving levels of congestion up across the country. Transport for London s Chief Operating Officer for Surface Transport Garrett Emmerson, said: London s continued success has made it one of the world s most popular cities in which to live, work and visit, which also makes it one of the busiest. We work hard to keep London's traffic moving every day, through our state of the art technology, Traffic Control Centre and focus on tackling unnecessary roadworks. We are seeing unprecedented increases in population and this, combined with strong economic growth and the consequent increase in building and construction, creates more traffic. To tackle this, we need continued, sustained investment to boost capacity and modernise London s road network. That s why we invest every penny of our income in improving the capital's transport network, including an unprecedented billion pounds over the next few years to transform junctions, bridges, tunnels, cycling lanes and pedestrian areas. UK vs Europe: How we measure up Of the 13 European countries analysed in the report, more than half (53%) experienced a rise in levels of congestion in 201 compared to 2013, reflective of steady economic growth. Nations struggling with high unemployment and low or negative economic growth typically recorded lower levels of traffic congestion compared to 2013. Countries in Europe with the highest levels of congestion (ranked by annual hours wasted): Europe country rank 201 Europe country rank 2013 Country Country avg. hours wasted annually: 2013 Country avg. hours wasted annually: 201 Difference between country avg. hours wasted annually from 201-2013 Change in GDP 201 (%) 1 1 1 Belgium 58 51-8 1.1 2 2 Netherlands 5 1-0.9 3 3 Germany 35 39 1.6 5 Luxembourg 32 3 3 2.3 5 6 United Kingdom 30 30 0 2.6 6 8 Switzerland 25 29 2.0 7 France 29 29 0 0.2 8 9 Austria 31 25-6 0.3 9 10 Ireland 21 2.8 10 7 Italy 25 20-6 -0. 11 11 Spain 17 17 0 1. 12 13 Portugal 6 6 0 0.9 13 12 Hungary 10 5-0.9 Britain s most congested roads The 201 Traffic Scorecard Report also identified the worst roads for traffic in the UK and the worst times to travel. London proved to have the busiest roads with mid-week, rush-hour traffic causing drivers to sit in traffic for up to 139 hours last year. Outside of the capital, a 5-mile stretch of the A8 in Edinburgh was the most congested road with drivers spending up to 9 hours in gridlock. 2
The UK s most congested roads in 201 (ranked by annual hours wasted): Rank Area Road (s) From To Distance (miles) Worst Peak Period Worst Day/Hour Total Delay per Year (hours) 1 London A217 2 London A215 3 London A Rosehill Roundabout Albany Road: Camberwell Henlys Roundabout: Hounslow London A Aldwych New Kings Road 10.37 AM Shirley Road: Croydon 9.55 PM Holborn Circus 1.68 AM Henlys Roundabout: Hounslow 1.18 PM 5 London A23 Thornton Heath Westminster Bridge 8.62 AM 18:00 18:00 138.6 119.72 113. 108 95.96 The UK s most congested roads outside London in 201 (ranked by annual hours wasted): Distance (miles) Worst Peak Period Rank Area Road (s) From To 1 Edinburgh A8 Princes Street: Maybury Road: Edinburgh Edinburgh 5.15 PM 2 Manchester A580 Boothstown: Worsley Swinton Park Manchester 7.21 AM 3 Manchester A510 3 M60 J5: Northenden Mancunian Way.55 AM Newcastle A1/A1 Washington-Birtley Lobley Hill: upon Tyne (M) Services Gateshead 5.68 PM 5 Chester A51 Turning for Great The Bars: Chester Barrow: Stamford City Centre Bridge.57 PM The traffic situation in Europe s cities Worst Day/Hour Mon Total Delay per Year (hours) 9.36 1.12 28.60 27.60 26. The INRIX Traffic Scorecard also analysed traffic in major metropolitan areas across Europe. Of the 9 European cities analysed in the report, nearly half (8%) experienced an increase in traffic compared to 2013. Whilst London topped the list of the 25 most congested European cities, Barcelona saw the biggest year-on-year increase in congestion, rising by 66%. Drivers in Barcelona experienced an additional 10 hours in traffic compared to 2013, rising from 15 hours wasted in traffic in 2013 to 25 in 201. This increase can be attributed to a growing economy with GDP growth figures in Spain at 1.% in 201 6 Spain s first full year growth since 2008. Unemployment in Barcelona dropped by 3% in 201 to 20% 5, driving up consumer spending and an increased demand for road travel, with more commuters travelling to work by car. 5 http://www.idescat.cat/pub/?id=aec&n=318&lang=en 3
Europe s most congested cities in 201 (ranked by annual hours wasted): 201 Rank 2013 Rank Metro Hours wasted in traffic 201 Annual change in hours from 2013 1 2 London commute zone 96 1 2 1 Brussels 7-9 3 6 Cologne 65 9 3 Antwerp 6-1 5 5 Stuttgart 6 6 10 Karlsruhe 63 10 7 7 Milan 57 1 8 13 Düsseldorf 53 9 15 Utrecht 53 5 10 9 Ghent 52-2 11 16 Gr. Manchester 52 6 12 12 S Gravenhage 51 2 13 1 Hamburg 8 0 1 17 Munich 8 15 Rotterdam 8-15 16 8 Paris 5-10 17 26 Bonn 2 18 22 Ruhrgebiet 2 2 19 11 Amsterdam 1-9 20 18 Lyon 0-21 37 Nuremburg 38 6 22 2 Merseyside 37-2 23 1 Freiburg im Breisgau 37 5 2 38 Frankfurt am Main 37 5 25 3 Gr. Belfast 37 6 #### About the INRIX Traffic Scorecard The INRIX Traffic Scorecard measures the traffic congestion problem by going beyond traditional limitations of road sensors and statistical sampling techniques by analysing an historical archive of real-time data crowd-sourced from actual vehicles travelling on major metropolitan roadways. INRIX analyses trillions of real-time data points from over a hundred sources including crowd-sourced data from a variety of commercial vehicles, including taxis, airport shuttles, service delivery vans, long haul trucks as well as consumer vehicles and mobile devices. Each data report from these GPSequipped vehicles and devices includes the speed, location and heading of a particular vehicle at a reported date and time, without including planning time. In creating the INRIX Traffic Scorecard, INRIX analyses information for millions of kilometres of motorways and secondary roads in Europe during every hour of the day to generate the most comprehensive and timely congestion analysis to date, covering the largest metropolitan areas in 1 countries. The same data used to generate the Scorecard also powers INRIX Traffic, a free smartphone app that helps drivers avoid frustrating delays stuck in traffic. The INRIX Traffic app helps drivers never be late with insights from the world s largest traffic network into the fastest routes from home to work, recommended departure and travel times, traffic forecasts and personalised traffic alerts unique to driver s routes. More information about INRIX Traffic can be found at http://inrixtraffic.com.
More details on traffic congestion in a particular country and how countries and cities compare to each other, along with an executive summary of the report s key findings are now available at scorecard.inrix.com. The extensive data powering the INRIX Traffic Scorecard is immediately available under license for further analysis and review by government agencies and commercial organisations. About INRIX INRIX is one of the fastest growing big data technology companies in the world. The company leverages big data analytics to reduce the individual, economic and environmental toll of traffic congestion. Through cutting-edge data intelligence and predictive traffic technologies, INRIX helps leading automakers, fleets, governments and news organizations make it easier for drivers to navigate their world. Our vision is simple to solve traffic, empower drivers, inform planning and enhance commerce. Whether through an in-car or smartphone navigation application, a local newscast or our INRIX Traffic app, our up-to-the-minute traffic information and other driver services help millions of drivers save time, fuel and frustration. INRIX delivers traffic and driving-related insight, as well as sophisticated analytical tools and services across six industries covering nearly five million miles (7.9 million km) of road in 2 countries. For more information visit us at INRIX.com or download our INRIX XD Traffic App for ios and Android. For more information visit us at www.inrix.com. Media Contacts: Hotwire PR on behalf of INRIX Laura Brooks laura.brooks@hotwirepr.com 0207 608 8363 Hannah Joyce hannah.joyce@hotwirepr.com 0207 608 623 5