Dive Brief:
- Chicago replaced New York City as the most congested city in the U.S. in 2025, according to data released Monday by INRIX, a transportation analytics company.
- Across the U.S., the typical driver lost 49 hours to traffic, up from 43 hours in 2024. Baltimore and Philadelphia each saw traffic delays jump 31% due to unique events in each city, INRIX executives said in an interview.
- “Traffic is growing right along with our infrastructure needs,” said Bob Pishue, transportation analyst at INRIX. “Building for the future would be great, but really, most of that is just to catch up to today's volumes.”
Dive Insight:
Five roads in New York City made INRIX’s list of the top 25 busiest corridors in 2024, but only one remained on this year’s list. “The congestion pricing program, no doubt, played a role,” Pishue said.
Baltimore lost a significant artery and an essential link for the city when the four-lane Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed after being struck by a cargo ship in March. Philadelphia commuters faced cuts in train service when the Federal Railroad Administration mandated inspections of 223 rail cars following a series of onboard fires.
Cities are tackling traffic delays with AI-based traffic signals, better signal timing and predictive data. Pishue said it is important for transportation officials “to be more flexible” in their planning. “With the right data sets, you can start making decisions earlier and get that out to the public, because public support and community support is key” for new projects, he said.
“The transportation system is just incredibly complex,” INRIX Chief Product Officer Ahmed Darrat said, adding that people have many transportation options, from ride-hailing and robotaxis to public transit, biking and walking. He urged transportation planners to analyze how these transportation modes are used in their cities.
Pishue said the scorecard provides a high-level view of traffic congestion in the U.S. and other countries, but transportation leaders “can also use it as a springboard” to gather additional data to help guide their planning decisions.
