Drivers in and around Washington, D.C. are well-aware of the area’s notorious traffic congestion. A new study looks at how much time and money is being wasted and how commuting patterns are shifting in the wake of the COVID pandemic.
In the just-released 2024 INRIX Global Traffic Scorecard, drivers in the Washington metro area lost 62 hours to traffic congestion in the past year, which is the equivalent to a full week-and-a-half of work. That statistic is well above the U.S. average of 43 hours.
Washington’s congestion is ranked ninth in the nation, with New York City topping the list, followed by Chicago and Los Angeles.
However, the average speed while driving in downtown D.C. is the lowest in the country, and tied with Brussels for lowest in the world at 12 miles per hour.
The single-busiest corridor in Washington is the Anacostia Freeway, from the D.C.-Maryland line down to Interstate 695, at the 11th Street Bridge, at 8 a.m.
How DC commute is being affected by return-to-office efforts
According to the INRIX study, telecommuting dropped 8% in the past year, nationally, with more people returning to the office in tech-heavy metro areas. Working from home numbers dropped 33% in San Jose, 24% in San Francisco, and 19% in Seattle.
In the Washington area, 14% fewer employees worked from home last year, with trips to downtown D.C. up 6%. Mass transit use is up 35% in the past year, but is still down from 2019 levels.
As hybrid and in-office working patterns continue to develop, people in D.C. and elsewhere in the country are more likely to be in the office on Friday than other days of the week.
According to INRIX, the influx of workers may be having an effect during off-work hours as well.
“Trips to U.S. downtowns grew faster on weekends, and especially weekend nights, than weekdays. This could indicate a shift toward increased downtown viability and vibrance in the wake of COVID-19’s damaging effect on office-heavy downtowns,” the study said.
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