Worst traffic list puts Vancouver, Montreal before Toronto

A new survey shows Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto parked among the top five cities in North America when it comes to traffic delays.

Vancouver is second only to Los Angeles in the 26 cities tallied in a traffic-congestion survey from GPS firm TomTom covering the second quarter of this year.

The study compares travel times during non-congested periods with those during peak hours. The difference is expressed as a percentage of increased driving times.

The research, using data drawn from the company's subscribers, shows drivers in Vancouver have their overall commute delayed an extra 33 per cent during congestion compared to when traffic flows smoothly.

Montreal took fourth place in the survey, while Toronto came in fifth, Ottawa was 12th and Calgary was 16th (see top 10 list below).

CBC Toronto reporter Trevor Dunn on Friday asked drivers about the survey. Some were skeptical about its findings.

A Toronto cab driver named Mansour said he's certain Toronto gridlock is the worst in Canada.

“I’ve been to Vancouver and I’ve been to Montreal. They are not that bad," he said.