A new study revealed that residents of Toronto spend nearly 199 hours a year in traffic.

The study, conducted by the British car rental company Nationwide Vehicle Contracts, indicates that the maximum speed reached by drivers in Toronto during peak hours is 25 km/h.

The researchers classified data from 15 different countries, placing Toronto's traffic as the 13th worst in the world, just behind Rio de Janeiro in Brazil and Bangkok in Thailand.

It's no surprise that Toronto's traffic is ranked among the worst in the world - public transit projects like the Ontario Line and Eglinton Crosstown LRT, along with infrastructure maintenance along vital arteries in the downtown area like Lake Shore Boulevard, often lead to gridlock during peak hours.

With the partial closure of Queen Street in downtown Toronto, the City of Toronto announced a plan to alleviate congestion, with an increased traffic workforce and adjusted traffic signals in priority areas.

While promoting the movie "Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One" last month, Tom Cruise commented during an interview on the congestion, asking "What's up with traffic in Toronto?".

Mayor Olivia Chow responded to his remark, stating "His comment echoes the report we saw from the Board of Trade, suggesting that it can be said our public transit system could be much better if it were more reliable".

A representative from Nationwide Vehicle Contracts said in a press release, "Unfortunately, with any major city around the world comes the risk of traffic congestion, with drivers traveling in and out of the city at all times, and with the additional congestion of trams, pedestrians, and construction, drivers are fighting a losing battle when it comes to traffic in Toronto".