It’s a title nobody wants…the city with the worst traffic in Canada.
Still, many in Ottawa think the capital is the champion of commuter chaos.
“Something’s got to be done. Tired of waiting, being late for things, nothing is going to change,” says one driver.
“Ottawa should change their name to ‘Ottawa, you can't get there from here.’ It's crazy,” says another.
According to GPS-maker TomTom maker, Ottawa sits in the third position behind Vancouver and Toronto.
“It's a very accurate barometer of congestion. It is based on actual driving time of passenger vehicle on the entire network,” says Jocelyn Vigreux of TomTom.
The traffic report also shows that the worst morning commute falls on Tuesdays, where the most frustrating drive home happens on Thursdays.
The numbers are based on 2013 stats, which doesn’t include the current traffic backups connected to major road resurfacing and light rail construction.
"Across the City, there are approximately 400 construction projects underway. This work is being done in a co-ordinated fashion and the City works with the federal government and the Government of Ontario to ensure that all works are planned strategically to reduce congestion as much as possible," says Nancy Shepers, Deputy City Manager for the City of Ottawa.
“They’ve got 185 kilometers of road that is under construction or being repaved. It’s nuts!” Says another motorist.
So who knows, maybe Ottawa will be bringing home the traffic title, next year.
With a report from CTV’s John Hua.
