Mexico City metropolitan area faces high costs from traffic congestion

A study by the Mexican Institute for Competitiveness (IMCO) and Dat’s Why reveals that traffic congestion in the Mexico City metropolitan area costs 81,747 million pesos annually. This economic loss, calculated based on lost labor income and education time for minors, represents 2.7 times the budget of the local Secretariat of Citizen Security.

On an individual level, the cost per person is 10,721 pesos per year, the highest among 44 metropolitan areas evaluated. Residents lose an average of 211 hours annually to congestion, equivalent to 8.8 days. Public transport users face a higher loss of 247 hours per capita, compared to 163 hours for private vehicle users.

In contrast, Saltillo has seen a reduction in time lost to traffic. According to IMCO data, annual time lost per person in Saltillo decreased from 78.51 hours in 2019 to 57 hours by 2026, a reduction of 27.4 percent. Local authorities attribute this improvement to mobility initiatives, including the creation of the Municipal Institute of Sustainable Urban Mobility (IMMUS), improved road distribution at the El Sarape distributor, and the ‘Aquí Vamos Gratis’ transit program.