By Emma Brannam
A new study on travel times reveals that Takapuna in Auckland and Petone in Wellington are the suburbs worst affected during the dreaded morning rush hour.
The data was collected from thousands of motorists using GPS devices over a 10 month period.
A bird’s eye view of Auckland in the morning reveals just how congested our roads get, with traffic in some areas often at a standstill.
If trying to avoid traffic jams plays a major part in where you choose to live, then a leading GPS manufacturer has some interesting findings. It has collected travel data from thousands of users in the capital and city of sails.
In Auckland, commuters coming from the North Shore into the city experience the worst delays.
If there is no traffic, the 9.4km journey from Takapuna takes just over 10 minutes. But between 7 and 9am that goes up to 28 and a half minutes, a 179 percent increase.
Those times are comparable to Remuera in the east and New Lynn in the west, where commuting time increases by 94 percent.
On the way home though, it is a different story.
Remuera residents experience the biggest percentage increase, from 8 minutes 26 seconds to just over 19 minutes, or up to 127 percent.
In New Lynn the increase is 91 percent.
The trip home is far less frustrating for Takapuna residents, taking just 59 percent longer.
In Wellington, the worst affected suburb in the morning is Petone, where the morning commute into the city takes more than twice as long during rush hour.
In the evening it is Hataitai and Oriental Bay, with an 85 percent increase in travelling time.
For those who cannot travel outside peak hours, TomTom claims it has the answer. Its new GPS devices show real time traffic information and suggest alternative routes, which it says can cut journey times by 15 percent.
3 News