Major U.S. Metro Areas Spend Significant Time in the Car
THE BEST WAY FOR BRANDS TO ENGAGE CONSUMERS IN THEIR CARS IS AM/FM RADIO
The car offers a huge opportunity for brands to make meaningful connections with local consumers across the country. Between daily commutes and growing “third space” activities in the car, consumers spend a considerable amount of time in their cars. But just how considerable is it? Newly released traffic data from transportation company INRIX sheds some light on how much car time is spent sitting in congestion. According to their latest Global Traffic Scorecard, Americans spent an average of 43 hours in traffic in 2024.
TOP RADIO METROS FACE HIGH, AND INCREASING, TRAFFIC LEVELS
Residents of major American cities, and top Radio Metros, faced even more significant levels of traffic in 2024. In all, 16 cities clocked in above the U.S. average of 43 hours. Drivers in New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles experienced more than double the U.S. average congestion time during their daily travels throughout the year.
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Looking year-over-year, 15 of the top 20 metro areas saw increases in time spent in traffic, led by Denver (+19%), Stamford (+18%), Nashville (+13%), and Philadelphia (+12%). On the other end of the spectrum, it was a small bit of good news for Boston: while commuters did enjoy a 9 hour decrease in traffic time, they still managed to secure the 4th highest level of congestion in the U.S. at 79 total hours.
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U.S. DOWNTOWNS ON THE UPTICK
INRIX noted an upward trend in trips into downtowns and city centers, those local economic districts home to office, retail, restaurant, and entertainment venues. INRIX's selection of 10 major city centers in the U.S. reveals that more than half experienced year-over-year increases, led by Houston at +25%. Double-digit growth was also seen in the city centers of Chicago, Dallas, and Atlanta.
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CAPITALIZE ON THE CAPTIVE IN-CAR AUDIENCE WITH LOCAL RADIO
Time spent in the car, even in traffic congestion, offers significant opportunities for brands to engage with captive audiences through audio. And no audio platform is equipped to turn these opportunities into connections with local consumers better than AM/FM radio. According to Edison's Share of Ear, 9 out of every 10 minutes of ad supported listening time is spent with AM/FM radio.
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As Americans get closer to spending 2 full days in traffic a year, radio is a must for brands looking to reach these attentive consumers in the car with ad messaging. Radio dominates ad-supported listening, and its Drive Time programming of popular Morning and Afternoon shows are designed to accompany listeners through peak AM and PM commuting hours. And by partnering with a Traffic Network, like Katz’s TWIN+, brands can target even further with ads and sponsorships that are contextually aligned across relevant content, including traffic, weather, news, sports, entertainment, and lifestyle.
For more information from INRIX.
Click to learn more about Katz's Traffic Network: Katz TWIN+.
