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INRIX 2024 Global Traffic Scorecard: Employees & Consumers Returned to Downtowns, Traffic Delays & Costs Grew

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Ten U.S. cities made the Top 25 worst congested cities in the world as employees return to the office.Nine out of 10 of the United States’ largest metros saw trips increase into the city core, capped by a sharp +25% increase in trips to Downtown Houston, followed by Chicago (+13%), Dallas (+12%) and Atlanta (+10%).Saturday and Sunday evenings saw the largest increase in trips, at 9% year-over-year, while Friday saw the biggest day of week growth when considering all-day trips.Congestion resulted in American drivers losing an average of 43 hours to traffic jams in 2024, equal to about one work week, costing $771 in lost time and productivity. Drivers in the most congested cities, New York and Chicago (102 hours), lost more than $1,800 in wasted time.

KIRKLAND, Wash., Jan. 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Today, INRIX, Inc., a global leader in transportation data and analytics, released the 2024 Global Traffic Scorecard that identified and ranked congestion and commuting trends in nearly 1,000 cities, across 37 countries. Istanbul’s 105 hours lost to congestion topped the worldwide rankings, followed closely by New York City (102 hours) and Chicago (102 hours). Ten U.S. cities made the Top 25 worst congested cities in the world as more employees returned to the office and leisure activity on nights and weekends increased.

Ten U.S. cities made the Top 25 world’s worst congested cities as more employees and consumers returned downtown

“Every year since 2020, we’ve seen traffic gradually rise towards what it was pre-pandemic,” said Bob Pishue, transportation analyst at INRIX and author of the 2024 Global Traffic Scorecard. “While the U.S. is still behind pre-2020 levels of traffic, a pullback of remote and hybrid work models, specifically in tech-heavy areas like San Jose, San Francisco, and Seattle, brought a large jump in downtown trips, which is a good sign for metropolitan economies. The data also shows more economic activity Saturday and Sunday evenings as the downtown core returns to life.”

The higher number of daily commuters heading downtown can bring economic benefits, but it’s a double-edged sword. Pishue continued, “Traffic can be an indicator of economic boon, but ironically, it’s a hamper on economies in of itself. Each minute spent waiting in traffic results in money and productivity lost.”

Americans Waste One Week a Year Sitting in Congestion
New York City, Chicago (both with 102 hours) and Los Angeles (88 hours) are the most congested cities in in the United States, costing drivers $1,826 and $1,575 respectively. The country’s biggest increase in traffic congestion came from 15th-ranked Denver, where residents saw a 19% increase in traffic delay compared to 2023.

Overall, congestion resulted in drivers losing an average of 43 hours to traffic jams in 2024, equal to about one work week, costing $771 in lost time and productivity. Nationwide, this sums to more than four billion hours lost, costing $74 billion in lost time.

Table 1: 10 Most Congested Urban Areas in the U.S.

2024 US
Rank
(2023
Rank)

Urban Area

2024
Hours
Lost
(2023)

Percent
Change

2024
Cost per
Driver

2024
Cost
per
City

Downtown
Speed

(mph)

1 (1)

New York City, NY

102 (101)

1 %

$1,826

$9.5 B

13

2 (2)

Chicago, IL

102 (96)

6 %

$1,826

$6.6 B

14

3 (3)

Los Angeles, CA

88 (89)

-1 %

$1,575

$8.5 B

22

4 (4)

Boston, MA

79 (88)

-10 %

$1,414

$2.7 B

13

5 (6)

Philadelphia, PA

77 (69)

12 %

$1,378

$3.3 B

14

6 (5)

Miami, FL

74 (70)

6 %

$1,325

$3.4 B

20

7 (8)

Houston, TX

66 (62)

6 %

$1,181

$3.5 B

17

8 (9)

Atlanta, GA

65 (61)

7 %

$1,164

$2.9 B

18

9 (7)

Washington, DC

62 (63)

-2 %

$1,110

$2.8 B

12

10 (10)

Seattle, WA

63 (58)

9 %

$1,128

$1.8 B

18

Downtown’s Revival
Nine out of 10 of the United States’ largest metros saw trips increase into the city core, capped by a sharp +25% increase in trips to Downtown Houston, followed by Chicago (+13%), Dallas (+12%) and Atlanta (+10%). INRIX analysis has pinpointed that the increase in downtown trips across the country is not only due to a return to in-person work as Saturdays and Sundays saw the largest year-over-year increases in nighttime trips to downtown (12.5% and 12.7%, respectively). These findings suggest the same improvements cities made to attract employees downtown are also responsible for driving increased leisure/entertainment activity and a return to nightlife.

The Most Congested Corridors in the U.S.
Delay on the country’s busiest roads continues to be one of the most volatile traffic metrics. After holding three spots in the top 10 in 2023, Stamford, Connecticut’s infamous I-95 is now number one in the country’s most congested roads, seeing an influx of traffic from both commuters and freight truck drivers across the tri-state area. Roads in New York and California hold 12 of the 25 spots in INRIX’s most congested U.S. corridors rankings.

Table 2: 10 Most Congested U.S. Roads in 2024

Rank

Urban Area

Road Name

From

To

Peak
Hour

2024 Peak
Minutes
Lost

2024

 Hours 
Lost

1

Stamford, CT

I-95 SB

Westport

Indian Field Road

8:00 AM

38

151

2

Boston, MA

I-93 SB

Charles River

Pilgrim’s
Highway

3:00 PM

27

109

3

Dallas, TX

US-80 EB

I-635

Forney, TX

5:00 PM

22

88

4

New York City, NY

I-278 BQE WB

I-495 I’Chnge

Tillary Street

4:00 PM

21

85

5

Chicago, IL

I-55 SB

I-90

S Cicero Ave

4:00 PM

20

79

6

Chicago, IL

I-90 EB

Cicero Ave

W Fullerton Ave

8:00 AM

20

79

7

Chicago, IL

I-90 EB

Cicero Ave

Ohio Street

8:00 AM

19

76

8

New York City, NY

Cross Bronx Expy SB

Bruckner Expy

Walter Gladwin
Park

4:00 PM

17

67

9

Chicago, IL

I-290 EB

S Wolf Road

Harlem Ave

5:00 PM

13

66

10

Chicago, IL

I-90 WB

W Ontario Street

W Irving Park
Rd

4:00 PM

13

64

International Cities Grew at Faster Rate
While most large U.S. metros saw an increase in traffic delay in 2024, many areas outside of the United States grew at an even higher rate. Four cities in the Global Top 10 alone saw double-digit increases in traffic delay compared to 2023. For comparison, only five cities in this year’s U.S. Top 25 saw double-digit increases, with zero coming in the top 10. Additionally, 3 out of 4 cities in the 2024 Global Top 25 that saw year-over-year decreases in traffic congestion came from the U.S.

Table 3: 10 Most Congested Cities in the World in 2024

2024 Impact

Rank 
(2023 Rank)

Urban Area

Country

2024 Delay 
per Driver 
(hours)

2023 Delay 
per Driver 
(hours)

Change
from 2023

Downtown
Speed (mph)

1 (6)

Istanbul

TUR

105

91

15 %

15

2 (1)

New York City, NY

USA

102

101

1 %

13

3 (5)

Chicago, IL

USA

102

96

6 %

14

4 (2)

Mexico City

MEX

97

96

1 %

13

5 (3)

London

GBR

101

99

2 %

13

6 (4)

Paris

FRA

97

97

0 %

13

7 (10)

Jakarta

IDN

89

65

37 %

13

8 (7)

Los Angeles, CA

USA

88

89

-1 %

22

9 (9)

Cape Town

ZAF

94

83

13 %

14

10 (12)

Brisbane

AUS

84

74

14 %

21

Combatting the Congestion Crisis
Access to reliable, consistent data is the first step in tackling congestion. Applying big data to create intelligent transportation systems is key to solving urban mobility problems. INRIX data and analytics on mobility, traffic signals, parking, safety and population movement can help city planners and engineers make data-based decisions to prioritize spending to maximize benefits and reduce costs now and into the future.

The key findings of the INRIX 2024 Global Traffic Scorecard provide a quantifiable benchmark for governments and cities across the world to measure progress to improve urban mobility and track the impact of spending on smart city initiatives.

Please visit www.inrix.com/scorecard for:

Full 2024 Global Traffic Scorecard reportInteractive webpage with data and information for nearly 1,000 cities and 37 countriesComplete methodology

About INRIX
Founded in 2004, INRIX pioneered intelligent mobility solutions by transforming big data from connected devices and vehicles into mobility insights. For nearly two decades, INRIX has harnessed machine learning and artificial intelligence to deliver precise and actionable mobility data. This revolutionary approach enabled INRIX to become one of the leading providers of data and analytics into how people move. By empowering cities, businesses, and people with valuable insights, INRIX is helping to make the world smarter, safer, and greener. With partners and solutions spanning across the entire mobility ecosystem, INRIX is uniquely positioned at the intersection of technology and transportation – whether its keeping road users safe, improving traffic signal timing to reduce delay and greenhouse gasses, optimizing last-mile delivery, or helping uncover market insights. Learn more at INRIX.com.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/inrix-2024-global-traffic-scorecard-employees–consumers-returned-to-downtowns-traffic-delays–costs-grew-302342464.html

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Robinson Nuclear Plant receives approval from U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to continue operating until 2050

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License extension supports growing energy demand, helps keep customer costs as low as possibleExtended operation provides significant economic benefits for Pee Dee region

Editor’s note: Visit the Duke Energy News Center for downloadable B-roll and high-resolution images of Robinson Nuclear Plant.

CHARLOTTE, N.C., April 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has renewed the operating license for Duke Energy’s Robinson Nuclear Plant for an additional 20 years, extending the plant’s ability to deliver reliable energy until 2050.

Robinson, located in Hartsville, S.C., provides enough energy to power 570,000 homes and plays an important role in protecting reliability and affordability for customers as regional electricity demand continues to grow.

What they’re saying

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster: “South Carolina’s energy needs continue to rise, and extending Robinson Nuclear Plant’s operating license preserves a reliable, affordable source of nuclear energy our state depends on. This plant ensures we have the power needed to support jobs and strengthen communities across the Pee Dee region.”Congressman Russell Fry (SC-07): “For 50 years, Robinson Nuclear Plant has been the backbone of South Carolina’s nuclear fleet. The extension of its license is monumental for the Pee Dee and allows Duke Energy to continue providing affordable, reliable electricity to homes and businesses in the region. This renewal is a win for families in the Pee Dee, Robinson Nuclear Plant’s employees and Darlington County as a whole.”Steven Capps, chief nuclear officer for Duke Energy: “Extending the operating life of this proven asset helps us deliver low-cost, always-on electricity for customers while supporting jobs and energy security for the region. Robinson’s subsequent license renewal reflects the strength of our safety culture and the rigorous work our teams do every day to support our communities.”

Why it matters

Duke Energy’s nuclear fleet provides about 51% of customers’ energy needs in the Carolinas, making nuclear energy an essential component of the company’s diverse generation portfolio.License renewal extends the use of cost-effective generation, resulting in significant savings for customers over time.Extended operation sustains significant economic benefits for Darlington County and the broader Pee Dee region.

Robinson by the numbers

Delivers 759 megawatts (MW) of electricity, powering nearly 570,000 homes.Nearly 500 high-paying jobs supported.$1.7 billion in equipment upgrades completed.Approximately $28 million in annual local tax contributions.

Go deeper

U.S. nuclear facilities are licensed by the NRC. The process to renew a license requires a comprehensive analysis and evaluation to ensure the plant can safely be operated for the period of extended operation.Robinson’s original 40-year operating license was granted by the NRC in 1970, making it one of the first commercial nuclear power plants in the Southeast. Robinson’s initial license was renewed for an additional 20 years of operation until 2030, and the subsequent license renewal allows for continued operations until 2050.Robinson is the second Duke Energy nuclear facility to receive approval for subsequent license renewal, following Oconee Nuclear Station in 2025. Duke Energy plans to seek subsequent license renewal for all 11 operating units across its nuclear fleet.For more background and updates on the subsequent license renewal process, visit Duke Energy’s subsequent license renewal webpage.

Duke Energy

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America’s largest energy holding companies. The company’s electric utilities serve 8.7 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 55,700 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas utilities serve 1.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio and Kentucky.

Duke Energy is executing an energy modernization strategy, keeping customer value at the forefront as it invests in electric grid upgrades and efficient generation resources to strengthen the system and serve growing energy needs.

More information is available at duke-energy.com. Follow Duke Energy on X, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook for stories about the people and innovations powering its communities.

Contact: Mikayla Kreuzberger
24-Hour: 800.559.3853

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/robinson-nuclear-plant-receives-approval-from-us-nuclear-regulatory-commission-to-continue-operating-until-2050-302752297.html

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Cin7 Appoints Sheldon Cummings as Chief Executive Officer

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Seasoned SMB technology leader joins to drive AI-powered growth for inventory and commerce platform

DENVER, April 23, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Cin7, a leading inventory management and connected commerce platform for small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs), today announced the appointment of Sheldon Cummings as Chief Executive Officer, effective April 20th. Sheldon succeeds Ajoy Krishnamoorthy, who is stepping down after leading the company through a significant period of product investment, global expansion, and customer growth.

I’m thrilled to be joining Cin7 at such a defining moment for both the company and the future of commerce.

“Leading Cin7 over these past few years has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my career,” said Ajoy. “I am proud of the work that we’ve done to improve the product, unite our global team, and deepen our connection with our customers. I’m confident that Sheldon is the right leader for Cin7’s next phase and I look forward to watching this team take the business to the next level.”

Sheldon brings more than 25 years of experience scaling technology businesses that serve small and mid-sized businesses. He most recently served as President and General Manager of the Corporate Business Unit at Smarsh. Prior to Smarsh, he served as Chief Operating Officer of Mailchimp, leading revenue, strategy, and operations across one of the world’s most widely used SaaS platforms for small businesses. He has also held senior leadership roles at Intuit, including Vice President of Sales, where he contributed to scaling go-to-market engines for SMB and Mid-Market focused products.

Sheldon joins Cin7 at a pivotal moment as AI reshapes how businesses manage inventory, fulfill orders, and connect their commerce operations. Already deeply invested in AI, Cin7 is positioned to lead the transformation by delivering smarter, faster, and more connected capabilities to its customers around the world.

“I am thrilled to be joining Cin7 at such a defining moment,” said Sheldon Cummings. “Cin7 has built something genuinely valuable. It has real product depth, a passionate global team, and a large market still full of opportunity. There is a compelling opportunity to become the intelligent commerce platform for SMB and Mid-Market product sellers across the globe. To be the one that harnesses the power of AI to help businesses operate better and grow faster. I am excited to partner with this team to chase that opportunity and to continue delivering the innovation our customers deserve.”

Cin7 serves thousands of businesses worldwide, helping them manage inventory, streamline operations, and connect their sales channels through a single, powerful platform. With teams in the United States, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, Sri Lanka, the United Arab Emirates, India, and the Czech Republic, Cin7 operates as a truly global business with a local commitment to every market it serves.

About Cin7

Cin7 is the leading inventory management and connected commerce platform for small and mid-sized product businesses. Cin7 helps growing brands manage inventory, automate workflows, and connect their sales channels, from e-commerce to wholesale to retail, in one powerful, easy-to-use platform. With over 8,500+ customers in over 100 countries processing over 125 million orders annually, Cin7 is a global business on a mission to make commerce simpler, smarter, and more connected for product sellers everywhere. For more information, visit www.cin7.com.

Media Contact

Karla Fleege, Cin7, 1 509-413-0025, pr@cin7.com, www.cin7.com

View original content:https://www.prweb.com/releases/cin7-appoints-sheldon-cummings-as-chief-executive-officer-302752187.html

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ShareRing, TKC and Transformational Launch Thailand’s First National Trust Infrastructure for Verifiable Credentials, with Production Rollout Starting June 2026

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A three-party alliance between ShareRing, publicly listed digital infrastructure provider TKC, and Thailand digital transformation firm Transformational will deliver the country’s first integrated Verifiable Credential and Digital Document Wallet infrastructure, anchored on ShareRing’s Privacy KYC technology.

BANGKOK, April 23, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Turnkey Communication Services PCL (TKC), in partnership with Transformational and ShareRing, today announced a strategic alliance to launch Thailand’s first integrated Verifiable Credential and Digital Document Wallet infrastructure, bridging the trust gap between government and private sector transactions.

We are building the trust layer that the whole country runs on.

“This partnership is about establishing a ‘National Trust Infrastructure,’ which is a critical national policy direction,” said Mr. Sayam Tiewtranon, CEO of TKC. “TKC’s role is to merge our existing infrastructure with global technology standards to drive widespread adoption in alignment with MDES and ETDA. We aim to reduce costs and increase transparency without burdening existing systems, while ensuring future international connectivity.”

Thailand’s Digital Paradox: Connectivity vs. Physical Friction

Despite a 95 percent internet penetration rate, the transactions that matter most, proving where you live, verifying a professional qualification, or applying for a loan, still require a physical visit and photocopies. “In 2026, citizens are still taking half-days off work to manage paperwork at service counters that close at 3 PM,” said Khun Ariya Banomyong, CEO of Transformational, and former Country Head of Google Thailand and Managing Director of LINE Thailand. “What Thailand lacks is a shared infrastructure layer connecting verified documents to real transactions.”

The High Cost of Unverifiable Documents

Reliance on paper documents leaves citizens and businesses vulnerable. “Paper documents are the ‘weakest link’ in the trust chain; easy to forge and impossible to verify,” Mr. Ariya added. “Once data is on paper, you lose control. For businesses, scanned affidavits prove nothing without independent verification, exposing them to massive risks, from unauthorized directorship changes to fraudulent contracts. Nationally, the cost is measured in hundreds of billions of baht in untraceable educational loan portfolios and public services.”

The Solution: Digital Document Wallet plus Verifiable Credential

The alliance introduces a Digital Document Wallet infrastructure, acting as a “Digital Twin” for critical documentation. Powered by ShareRing’s blockchain technology, already deployed in multiple international markets, the platform supports a wide array of Verifiable Credentials. It is designed to accommodate professional licences, employment certifications, company affidavits, academic transcripts and other identity documents as they transition into the ecosystem.

A Three-Party Architecture

The alliance is designed around three complementary roles. TKC provides the national infrastructure footprint and institutional reach into Thai state-owned enterprises. Transformational leads enterprise and government delivery, translating national policy direction into operational rollout. ShareRing contributes the production Privacy KYC technology stack, already live in multiple international markets. ShareRing also holds a strategic equity stake in Transformational, aligning commercial incentives across delivery and technology beyond a standard vendor relationship.

What Institutions Actually Buy: Sovereign Issuance

The commercial offering at the core of the alliance is what ShareRing calls Sovereign Issuance. A government agency, university, regulator or large enterprise issues its own verifiable digital documents, from its own infrastructure, under its own seal. The end user holds the document on a personal device, gives explicit consent before anything is shared, and reveals only what the verifier requires through Zero-Knowledge Proofs. Verification happens in real time, cryptographically, without the verifier ever needing to contact the issuer. Trust stays with the real authority, the issuer, rather than with a centralised intermediary.

Compliant with Global Security Standards (Private and Secure by Design)

The platform is built on privacy-first global standards, with User Consent at its core. It is W3C Verifiable Credential compliant, DIATF certified and ISO 27001:2022 accredited, and aligned with GDPR, Thailand’s PDPA and the Australian Privacy Act. Implementation is being tracked against the emerging OpenID for Verifiable Credentials (OID4VC) interoperability layer being shaped by ETDA.

“By utilizing Zero-Knowledge Proof (ZKP) and Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI), we ensure users verify information without exposing sensitive data,” said Mr. Tim Bos, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of ShareRing. “No information is accessed without explicit user consent, ensuring only the owner holds the access keys to their digital identity.”

From Policy to Implementation

The alliance focuses on providing enterprise-ready solutions to bridge the gap between policy and execution:

Seamless connectivity via SDKs and APIs for immediate integration into existing legacy systems.Sovereign issuance infrastructure enabling organisations to securely issue their own verifiable digital documents.Real-time verification to eliminate manual delays and fraudulent documentation risks.

“We are building the trust layer that the whole country runs on,” said Mr. Rohan Le Page, Founder and Co-CEO of ShareRing. “By deploying W3C-compliant and ISO-accredited technology, we are providing Thailand with an infrastructure built for global interoperability and international business expansion.”

Implementation Roadmap

“We are already in execution,” said Mr. Piya Jirapapongsa, Deputy Managing Director (Operations) at TKC. “Our first deployment goes live with a major state-owned enterprise in June 2026, followed by digital credential issuance for a network of Thai universities in August 2026, with active discussions underway across financial services, hospitality, and public administration.”

A Blueprint for the Region

Thailand is the first national-scale deployment of the alliance’s model. The partners intend the same architecture, a national infrastructure anchor, a locally credible delivery partner, and a W3C compliant identity and credential stack, to serve as a template for broader South East Asian rollout, with regional conversations already active.

For further project enquiries, please contact Mr. Ekkapol Promratanapong, Digital Product Director, TKC, who leads this initiative.

About Turnkey Communication Services PCL (TKC)

TKC is Thailand’s full-service digital infrastructure provider, covering telecommunications, cybersecurity, and digital solutions for government and large enterprises. Led by CEO Sayam Tiewtranon, the company focuses on building infrastructure that is resilient, secure, and compatible with international standards, supporting the country’s transition to a digital economy.

About Transformational Co., Ltd.

Digital transformation consultancy, working with corporate clients and state-owned enterprises, specialising in digital document trust infrastructure and verifiable credential solutions. Led by CEO Ariya Banomyong.

About ShareRing

ShareRing is a Privacy KYC and Verifiable Credential platform operating across multiple international markets. W3C Verifiable Credential compliant, DIATF certified, and ISO 27001:2022 accredited, ShareRing’s infrastructure is built for institutional scale. The company operates ShareLedger, a Cosmos-based Layer 1 calibrated for identity workloads, and ships the ShareRing Me consumer wallet and ShareRing Link enterprise SDK. ShareRing holds a strategic equity stake in Transformational Co., Ltd.

Media Contact

Rohan Le Page, ShareRing, 61 438094075, marketing@sharering.network, https://www.sharering.network

View original content:https://www.prweb.com/releases/sharering-tkc-and-transformational-launch-thailands-first-national-trust-infrastructure-for-verifiable-credentials-with-production-rollout-starting-june-2026-302752315.html

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