In 2024, Oshawa's transportation landscape is dominated by car usage, with a significant portion of the population relying on personal vehicles for their daily commutes. Despite the high car usage, a small percentage of residents opt for walking, contributing to the city's efforts to reduce traffic congestion and emissions.

Average Commute Times

The average commute involves 1.25 minutes of waiting and 23.13 minutes of driving, covering a distance of 21.09 km.
  • Car - Car commuters spend approximately 26.43 minutes driving over a distance of 20.53 km.
  • Walking - Walking commutes take about 30 minutes, with additional time spent on public transport, covering a distance of 25 km.
Traffic Breakdown
Car
78%
Walking
11%
Home
11%
Seasonal Trends

Winter months often see increased traffic delays due to snow and ice, impacting commute times. Summer tends to have smoother traffic flow, although construction projects can cause temporary disruptions.

Commuter Pain Points

Heavy reliance on cars leads to frequent traffic jams, especially during rush hours. Limited public transportation options make it challenging for non-drivers to commute efficiently.

Best Travel Times

Early mornings before 7 AM and late evenings after 7 PM are ideal for avoiding peak traffic. Midday travel between 10 AM and 3 PM also offers less congested roads.

Event Impacts

Public events, such as concerts and sports games, can significantly increase traffic congestion in the downtown area. Planning alternative routes during major events can help mitigate delays.

Sustainability Efforts

Oshawa is exploring the expansion of bike lanes and pedestrian pathways to promote eco-friendly commuting. The city is also considering incentives for electric vehicle adoption to reduce emissions.

Ride-Sharing Impact

Ride-sharing services have helped reduce the number of single-occupancy vehicles on the road. However, increased ride-sharing activity can sometimes contribute to congestion in popular areas.

Worldwide
Canada

Traffic Rankings

The Traffic Index for Canada combines user-contributed data on commute times, traffic dissatisfaction, CO2 emissions, and traffic system inefficiencies in Canada, to provide insights into overall traffic conditions.

Worst to BestUpdated: Jan, 2025
Full Traffic Rankings

Traffic Data

The following traffic data has been gathered from 9 user contributions.
Overall average travel
Distance
13.1 miles
Walking
3.8 mins
Waiting
1.3 mins
Driving Car
23.1 mins
Bus / Trolley
1.9 mins
Train
1.9 mins
Total:
31.9 mins
Average when primarily using Car
Distance
12.8 miles
Driving Car
26.4 mins
Total:
26.4 mins
Average when primarily using Walking
Distance
15.5 miles
Walking
30.0 mins
Waiting
10.0 mins
Bus / Trolley
15.0 mins
Train
15.0 mins
Total:
70.0 mins
Oshawa Traffic

"Key Takeaways"

Encouraging the use of public transportation and non-motorized travel can help reduce Oshawa's CO2 emissions.

Investing in infrastructure improvements and traffic management systems could enhance commute efficiency.

Key Indexes

Emissions

Oshawa's CO2 emissions index is notably high at 6263.75, reflecting the heavy reliance on cars.

Efforts to reduce emissions could focus on promoting alternative transportation methods.

Time

The time index of 31.88 indicates moderate traffic delays during peak hours.

Commuters may benefit from flexible work hours to avoid peak traffic times.

Inefficiency

The inefficiency index stands at 97.77, suggesting room for improvement in traffic management.

Implementing smart traffic systems could help alleviate congestion.