The average American driver lost 49 hours to traffic congestion in 2025, according to INRIX's annual Global Traffic Scorecard, six hours more than the year before. In Chicago, the worst US city, it was 112 hours: nearly three working weeks a year sitting still.
Every option for getting around a city promises to fix that. Some actually do; some just move the problem somewhere else. Here's how the common options compare, judged on two separate questions that often get muddled:
- Does it get you through the traffic faster?
- Does it make the traffic better for everyone else?
Car-pooling
Sharing a ride to work is the oldest trick in the book, and many cities back it with high-occupancy (HOV or transit) lanes that only cars with passengers can use.
Policing those lanes is hard, and people are inventive. Drivers in the US have been fined for using mannequins and inflatable "passengers" to sneak into car-pool lanes.
What's good about it
- Fuel, tolls and parking are split between the people in the car. Agree the split up front; it saves awkwardness later.
- Company for early or late trips, which some people find safer.
- One less car on the road and in the car park. A typical car spends about 95% of its life parked, so every car you take off a commute frees up a lot of space.
What's not
- Logistics. You all need similar hours and a route without big detours.
- You're only as punctual as the least punctual person. There will be a 6 am text saying the driver's ill.
Verdict: a small win for congestion, a good win for your wallet, if your schedules line up.
Electric cars
An electric car is a car. It takes up the same road and parking space as a petrol one, so it does nothing for congestion on its own. What it changes is the cost per kilometre and the local air quality.
The running-cost sum
EV efficiency is quoted in kWh per 100 km, the electric equivalent of litres per 100 km. A typical mid-size EV uses about 15–18 kWh/100 km (roughly 3.5–4 miles per kWh).
- EV charged at home: 16 kWh/100 km × 30c per kWh = $4.80 per 100 km
- Petrol car: 7 L/100 km (34 mpg US) × $2.20 per litre = $15.40 per 100 km
Put in your own electricity tariff and fuel price, in your own currency; the arithmetic holds anywhere. Charging off-peak or from solar can bring the EV figure down a lot further. Fast public charging can cost three or four times the home rate, which narrows the gap. As a reference point, a 2018 US estimate by EnergySage put the annual fuel cost of an EV at about US$485 against US$1,117 for a petrol car.
Perks are fading
Cities used to reward EVs with free parking, free charging and exemptions from congestion charges. Those perks are being wound back now that EVs are common. London is the clearest example: electric cars were fully exempt from the Congestion Charge until 25 December 2025. From 2 January 2026, they pay the charge with a 25% discount (£13.50 of the £18 daily charge), and the discount is due to shrink to 12.5% in 2030. EVs are still exempt from London's ULEZ, which is about emissions, not traffic.
Verdict: much cheaper to run and cleaner where you breathe, but no faster through traffic and no help to congestion.
Uber, Lyft and other rideshare
Rideshare apps started as a cheaper way from the airport to the hotel and became, for many people, a regular way to get to work.
What's good about it
- No car to own, insure or park. For city dwellers who'd otherwise pay for a car park every night, it can work out cheaper than ownership if used occasionally.
- Fewer cars looking for parking spaces in the city centre.
What's not
- Surge pricing makes it hard to budget as a daily commute.
- It adds traffic. A 2019 study by the transport consultancy Fehr & Peers for Uber and Lyft estimated that rideshare vehicles made up around 13–14% of all vehicle kilometres in the core of some of the busiest US cities, including the "deadheading" kilometres driven empty between passengers.
- Working conditions for drivers have been controversial for years; that's worth reading up on if it matters to you.
Verdict: convenient, but it makes congestion worse, not better.
Congestion pricing
This one isn't something you choose, but it's changing the sums for everyone else. New York City began charging most cars US$9 at peak times to enter Manhattan below 60th Street on 5 January 2025, the first congestion pricing scheme in the US. The toll is scheduled to rise to US$12 in 2028 and US$15 in 2031. The MTA's target is roughly 13% less traffic in the zone, with the money going to public transport. London has had a congestion charge since 2003, and Stockholm and Singapore have similar schemes.
If you drive into a charged zone, add the daily charge to your cost per trip. It often tips the balance towards the train, a bike or a scooter.
E-scooters, shared or your own
Electric scooters, whether shared ones like Lime or your own, are at their best for the "last mile": station to office, without carrying anything.
What's good about it
- Very little road or parking space. Hard to beat for space efficiency.
- They make public transport more useful by fixing the walk at either end.
- Very cheap to run. A typical commuter scooter uses about 1–2 kWh per 100 km, so electricity costs are a rounding error.
What's not
- Range. Commuter scooters typically claim 25–60 km (15–37 miles) per charge; real-world range in cold weather or on hills is lower. Charging a big battery can take 6–10 hours.
- Rules vary a lot. Where you can ride (road, bike lane, footpath) and whether private scooters are legal at all differs by country, state and even city. Check before you buy.
- Theft. Scooters are light and resellable. Lock it well or bring it inside.
- Injury risk. Small wheels, potholes and speeds above what most cyclists ride add up. Wear a helmet and slow down near pedestrians.
Verdict: excellent for short trips and congestion, if your city's rules and roads allow it.
Cycling and e-bikes
How common cycling to work is depends hugely on the country, from a large share of trips in the Netherlands and Denmark to a sliver in most car-centric cities. But many cities are now building protected bike lanes as a cheaper fix for congestion than more roads.
What's good about it
- Bikes take up little space and slip past queues. In informal "commuter races" between modes in busy cities, the bike often wins on door-to-door time.
- It's as cheap or as expensive as you want. A good used bike, lights and a lock are enough to start.
- It's exercise you don't have to schedule.
What's not
- Fitness and hills can be a barrier for beginners, and some cities are simply very hilly.
- Range: most people find about 8 km (5 miles) each way comfortable on a regular bike; beyond that, the total trip time often loses to a car or train.
- Traffic safety where there's no separated bike infrastructure.
- Weather. If it's raining, you'll get wet. Good mudguards help more than you'd expect.
An e-bike solves the first two problems. It roughly doubles a comfortable commuting distance, flattens the hills and costs around a cent per kilometre in electricity. For many people, it's the single best car replacement on this list.
Verdict: the best all-round option for congestion and cost, especially with a motor.
Walking and running
For short commutes, your own legs remain unbeatable on congestion: zero road space, zero running costs, and very predictable journey times. Some people run part or all of the way to work, which needs a shower or at least a change of clothes at the other end, and a building that can provide one. Combined with a train or bus, walking extends a long way.
The best commute is a mix
You don't have to pick one. Dropping the car for even one or two days a week makes a real dent in cost and traffic. Many people find a combination works best: train plus scooter, bike on dry days and bus on wet ones, or driving to a park-and-ride instead of into the centre.
Work out your cost per trip for each option, using your own prices, and the answer usually becomes obvious.
This article is a 2026 rewrite by Cole of Mark's 2019 original, with current congestion figures, charging rules and running-cost sums.