Riga, the capital of Latvia, presents a diverse range of transportation options with cars being the most popular mode. The city's traffic dynamics reveal significant reliance on buses and walking, contributing to its unique commuting landscape.

Average Commute Times

The average commute involves 12.7 minutes of driving and 8.2 minutes of walking, covering a distance of 10 km.
  • Bus - Bus commuters spend about 24.3 minutes on the bus and 6.7 minutes walking, with a total distance of 7.5 km.
  • Car - Car users drive for approximately 29.6 minutes and walk for 1.5 minutes, covering 14.9 km.
  • Train - Train passengers spend 28 minutes on the train and 16.3 minutes walking, with a journey of 25 km.
  • Walking - Walking commuters spend 27.4 minutes on foot, covering a distance of 3.1 km.
Traffic Breakdown
Car
41%
Bus
20%
Walking
18%
Bicycle
10%
Home
5%
Train
3%
Tram
2%
Seasonal Trends

Winter months see increased car usage due to harsh weather conditions, impacting commute times. Summer tends to have more bicycle and walking commuters, easing traffic congestion.

Commuter Pain Points

Traffic congestion during peak hours leads to longer commute times, especially for car users. Limited public transport options in certain areas can cause delays and inconvenience.

Best Travel Times

Early mornings before 7 AM and late evenings after 7 PM are ideal for avoiding traffic congestion. Midday travel between 11 AM and 2 PM is generally smoother for public transport users.

Event Impacts

Large public events in the city center can significantly disrupt traffic flow and increase travel times. Planning alternative routes during events can help mitigate delays.

Sustainability Efforts

Riga is investing in expanding its cycling infrastructure to promote eco-friendly commuting. The city is also enhancing its public transport network to reduce reliance on cars.

Ride-Sharing Impact

Ride-sharing services have helped reduce the number of private cars on the road, easing congestion. These services provide flexible commuting options, especially during off-peak hours.

Worldwide
Latvia

Traffic Rankings

Riga ranks 1st on the Traffic rankings in Latvia. The Traffic Index for Latvia combines user-contributed data on commute times, traffic dissatisfaction, CO2 emissions, and traffic system inefficiencies in Latvia, to provide insights into overall traffic conditions.

Worst to BestUpdated: Dec, 2024

Traffic Data

The following traffic data has been gathered from 133 user contributions.
Overall average travel
Distance
6.2 miles
Walking
8.2 mins
Waiting
1.3 mins
Driving Car
12.7 mins
Bus / Trolley
5.2 mins
Bicycle
1.9 mins
Motorcycle
0.0 mins
Train
0.9 mins
Tram
0.4 mins
Other
0.3 mins
Total:
31.0 mins
Average when primarily using Bus
Distance
4.6 miles
Walking
6.7 mins
Waiting
4.4 mins
Bus / Trolley
24.3 mins
Total:
35.4 mins
Average when primarily using Car
Distance
9.2 miles
Walking
1.5 mins
Driving Car
29.6 mins
Total:
31.1 mins
Average when primarily using Train
Distance
15.5 miles
Walking
16.3 mins
Waiting
5.0 mins
Train
28.0 mins
Total:
49.3 mins
Average when primarily using Walking
Distance
1.9 miles
Walking
27.4 mins
Waiting
0.5 mins
Driving Car
0.3 mins
Bus / Trolley
0.2 mins
Bicycle
0.3 mins
Motorcycle
0.0 mins
Tram
0.4 mins
Total:
29.2 mins
Riga Traffic

"Key Takeaways"

Encouraging the use of bicycles and public transport could help reduce CO2 emissions.

Investing in public transport infrastructure may improve commute times and reduce inefficiencies.

Key Indexes

Emissions

Riga's CO2 emissions index is notably high at 3634.92, indicating a significant environmental impact.

Efforts to reduce emissions could focus on increasing public transport and cycling usage.

Time

The time index of 31.04 suggests moderate traffic delays in Riga.

Peak hours contribute to increased travel times, particularly for car commuters.

Inefficiency

With an inefficiency index of 124.20, Riga's traffic system faces challenges in optimizing flow.

Improving public transport efficiency could alleviate some of these inefficiencies.