Overview Traffic Index ranking Press About JANUARY JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec No congestion Heavy congestion TOMTOM TRAFFIC INDEX The world has changed, traffic has changed. 2020 OVERVIEW The TomTom Traffic Index has been providing detailed insights on traffic congestion levels in over 400 cities around the world for the past 10 years. The report ranks cities from the most to the least congested. It’s powered by real traffic data and reflects all the changes on our roads in 2020, so it’s no surprise that this year’s ranking is unlike anything we’ve ever seen before. SEE FULL RANKING 416 CITIES 57 COUNTRIES What has changed? This year we observed a huge drop in urban congestion levels around the world Decrease in congestion No change in congestion Increase in congestion 2018 2019 2020 …unlike anything we've seen before 387 cities where traffic decreased since 2019 13 cities where traffic increased since 2019 How different was the traffic in 2020? Monthly changes in average congestion levels in all cities in 2020 compared to the same month in 2019. Each dot represents one city. Decrease in congestion No change in congestion Increase in congestion CITIES IN APRIL 2020 In April, we observed a substantial drop in traffic congestion in cities around the world. Some cities even had as much as 30 days with low traffic – where congestion levels were at least 50% lower than the same day in 2019. In April, 276 cities had at least 20 days with low traffic Number of days with low traffic in April 2020 in selected cities New Delhi 30 New York 30 Bogota 29 Madrid 29 Paris 29 Milan 28 Bangkok 22 Sydney 20 Amsterdam 17 Zurich 15 Beijing 14 Berlin 8 Hong Kong 5 Stockholm 2 Tracking the impact of COVID-19 through traffic COMPARE DIFFERENCE Compare weekly congestion levels in corresponding weeks of 2019 and 2020. The congestion levels are weighted averages. Each week starts on Monday and ends on Sunday. Selected Wuhan Shanghai Kuwait City Milan Riyadh Rome Madrid Barcelona Lisbon Paris Amsterdam Copenhagen Budapest Zurich Geneva Brussels Oslo Stockholm Helsinki Tallinn Reykjavik Prague Vienna Riga Vilnius Luxembourg Bratislava Ljubljana Athens Sofia Warsaw Manila Tel Aviv New York Los Angeles Miami Houston Toronto Ottawa Lima Bucharest Sao Paulo Rio de Janeiro Santiago Dublin Mexico City Istanbul Cairo Cape Town London Berlin Kyiv Mumbai Bengaluru Jakarta Bogota Buenos Aires Melbourne Sydney Auckland Wellington Moscow region (oblast) Tokyo JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 2019 2020 No congestion Heavy congestion WEEK 15 Second week of April The week with the biggest drop in congestion levels, compared to 2019. 414 cities | 57 countries 2020 was unpredictable — and so was traffic ESCAPES FROM CAPITALS This year we witnessed a mass exodus of people from capital cities across Europe. The day before new lockdowns went into force was the most congested day in Athens and London in 2020. Meanwhile in Paris, traffic jams reached record lengths. At the worst point of the day, congestion levels in Paris hit 142% Paris, 29 Oct, 6 PM 142% Athens, 6 Nov, 6 PM 123% London, 4 Nov, 5 PM 104% CHANGES IN MOBILITY PATTERNS Netherlands In the Netherlands, coronavirus restrictions upended normal driving routines. In 2020, roads in many cities were less congested during the week and busier at weekends compared to 2019 — as more people worked from home and took the opportunity to get out on days off. April 2020 vs April 2019 Work days Weekends Apeldoorn -23% +74% Breda -33% +38% Den Bosch -43% +34% June 2020 vs June 2019 Work days Weekends Utrecht -43% +42% Amersfoort -29% +27% Arnhem -35% +19% DIFFERENCES BETWEEN CITIES Minneapolis had the highest number of days with low traffic: 219 days where congestion levels were at least 50% lower than the same days in 2019. In contrast, the Taiwanese city of Kaohsiung had zero days with low traffic in all of 2020. Minneapolis United States of America 219 days Kaohsiung Taiwan 0 days MOTHER'S DAY IN POLAND Poland , May 26 On Mother's Day, we observed heavy evening traffic in many Polish cities as people visited their moms after work. Congestion levels in some cities were up to 75% higher than the preceding and following weeks. May 26 19 May, 2 June Lodz Bielsko-Biala Bydgoszcz Krakow Traffic after COVID-19: A new beginning? The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically changed the way we live, work and move. Lockdowns, remote working and other restrictions on movement have transformed patterns of movement and reduced traffic congestion in most cities. Australia -1.00 -0.75 -0.50 -0.25 0 +0.25 +0.50 +0.75 +1.00 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec China -1.00 -0.75 -0.50 -0.25 0 +0.25 +0.50 +0.75 +1.00 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec France -1.00 -0.75 -0.50 -0.25 0 +0.25 +0.50 +0.75 +1.00 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Germany -1.00 -0.75 -0.50 -0.25 0 +0.25 +0.50 +0.75 +1.00 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Italy -1.00 -0.75 -0.50 -0.25 0 +0.25 +0.50 +0.75 +1.00 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Netherlands -1.00 -0.75 -0.50 -0.25 0 +0.25 +0.50 +0.75 +1.00 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Poland -1.00 -0.75 -0.50 -0.25 0 +0.25 +0.50 +0.75 +1.00 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Spain -1.00 -0.75 -0.50 -0.25 0 +0.25 +0.50 +0.75 +1.00 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec United States of America -1.00 -0.75 -0.50 -0.25 0 +0.25 +0.50 +0.75 +1.00 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Cities' average congestion levels during morning and evening rush hours throughout 2020, compared to 2019. AM rush PM rush What does the future have in store for traffic? COVID-19 could change traffic forever. Will we embrace the shift in mobility and take a new path towards a safer, cleaner, congestion-free future? NO MORE TRAFFIC JAMS We'll no longer waste hours stuck in traffic as working from home will became the norm for most jobs. Rush hour traffic will all but disappear, making journeys faster and less stressful. MINDFUL TRAVEL CHOICES With flexible working hours, we're free to choose when we move. If the roads are busy, we just make plans to travel at a quieter time. We're more open to eco-friendly modes of travel, like cycling, and we carefully consider if we really need to take the car to drop by the local store. CLEANER PLANET Once we experienced roads with less traffic, clearer skies and cleaner air, we never looked back. Governments, businesses and individuals all worked together to cut emissions, reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and make more sustainable choices — protecting the planet for future generations to enjoy. Together, we can improve how the world moves. Will you join us in making the roads safer, the drive better and the air cleaner? Change the way you move with TomTom technology OUTSMART TRAFFIC TomTom Real-Time Traffic Helping drivers stay one step ahead of traffic. PLAN BETTER ROUTES TomTom Speed Profiles The industry’s most accurate arrival times start here. MANAGE MOVEMENT Road Traffic Management Helping governments and city planners improve traffic and travel. DRIVE INFORMED DECISIONS Location Intelligence Maps and traffic data fit for all location intelligence applications. Calling all city planners, automakers and policy makers – let’s change the way the world moves. CONTACT US tomtom.com Copyright © 2021 TomTom International BV. All rights reserved. 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