Is The Traffic In Nottingham Worse Than In New York?

A new report from a traffic data company has revealed that the roads around Nottingham are more congested than those in New York. The research, from data company Inrix, show that Nottingham is the twelfth most congested city in Europe and North America – although many experts have questioned the findings.

A separate study by TomTom has found that Nottingham is the tenth most congested city in the UK, behind the likes of Leeds, Sheffield and Liverpool.

So, is Nottingham one of the worst places for traffic? Or are these figures painting a false picture? Keep reading to find out more.

Congestion is ‘good news’ as it shows the local economy is improving

The Inrix research looked at the difference in traffic speed during peak hours from Monday to Friday against what it was like when roads were free-flowing. This information, captured between June 2013 and June 2014, was then averaged out to create a score.

The area analysed stretches from Nottingham city centre to Sutton-in-Ashfield in the north, Bingham in the east, East Leake in the south and Little Eaton in the west. This also incorporates junction 25 to junction 27 of the M1 and the A52. The results found that Nottingham is the twelfth most congested city in North American and Europe.

Inrix spokesman Chris Lambert said: “The common factor between cities with high congestion tends to be good news really, showing there’s a very good improving economy leading to an increase in traffic congestion.

“Although we all hate sitting in congestion it’s because people want to be in the area, want to come into the city and work.”

Experts question the findings

However, many local experts have questioned the statistics. For example, one of the reasons that Nottingham could score highly is because the drop in speed between peak and non-peak times might be more dramatic than in cities that have heavier or grid-locked traffic all the time.

Jamil Ahmed, Chairman of the Nottingham Licensed Taxi Owners\' and Drivers\' Association questioned the statistics but believed there were some issues with congestion. He said: “I don’t think that Nottingham sticks out particularly though, it’s like any other city.

“Congestion is an issue at peak times in the city centre though and especially with roadworks which are ongoing still at the moment, although our drivers are experienced to find other avenues to take.”

Nottingham City Council’s Portfolio holder for Transport councillor Jane Urquhart also queried the figures. She said: “This survey covers an area well outside the city, including the A453 and the M1 where there have been extensive roadworks recently.

“Those improvements, as well as schemes underway in the city including the tram extension and ring road improvements, are all designed to ease congestion, and will do so once complete.

“I’m confident that once current transport developments are complete, we will return to some of the lowest congestion levels in a major UK city.”

A separate study from TomTom has revealed the top 10 most congested cities in the UK. Keep reading to find out what they are.

The top 10 most congested cities in the UK

The TomTom study used its in-car devices to compare travel times during peak hours and non-congested periods. It calculates the difference, giving as a percentage increase in journey times. According to this data, the most congested UK cities are:

Belfast - 36 per cent
London - 34 per cent
Edinburgh - 34 per cent
Bristol - 32 per cent
Brighton and Hove - 31 per cent
Manchester - 26 per cent
Leeds - 26 per cent
Sheffield - 26 per cent
Liverpool - 25 per cent
Nottingham - 25 per cent