Traffic in New Plymouth

In 2024, New Plymouth's transportation landscape is dominated by car usage, with a significant portion of the population also choosing to walk.

Despite the reliance on cars, the city faces challenges with CO2 emissions and traffic inefficiency, highlighting areas for potential improvement.

Average Commute Times

The average commute involves 12.33 minutes of driving and 3.33 minutes of walking, covering a distance of 14.67 km.

  • Car - Car commuters spend an average of 17.5 minutes driving over a distance of 21 km.
  • Walking - Walking commuters spend about 10 minutes covering a distance of 2 km.
Traffic Breakdown
Car
67%
Walking
33%

Traffic Data

The following traffic data has been gathered from 3 user contributions.
Overall average travel
Distance
9.1 miles
Walking
3.3 mins
Driving Car
12.3 mins
Total:
15.7 mins
Average when primarily using Car
Distance
13.0 miles
Driving Car
17.5 mins
Total:
17.5 mins
Average when primarily using Walking
Distance
1.2 miles
Walking
10.0 mins
Driving Car
2.0 mins
Total:
12.0 mins

More Information

Seasonal Trends

Traffic tends to increase during the summer months as tourists visit the coastal areas.

Winter months see a slight decrease in traffic as residents prefer indoor activities.

Commuter Pain Points

Limited public transportation options force reliance on cars, contributing to congestion.

Pedestrian pathways are not always well-maintained, affecting walking commuters.

Best Travel Times

Early mornings before 8 AM and late evenings after 7 PM are the best times to avoid traffic.

Midday travel is generally smoother due to lower traffic volumes.

Event Impacts

Public events such as festivals and sports games can significantly increase traffic congestion.

Road closures during events often lead to detours and longer travel times.

Sustainability Efforts

The city is exploring initiatives to promote cycling and walking to reduce car dependency.

Efforts are underway to improve public transport infrastructure to offer more sustainable commuting options.

Ride-Sharing Impact

Ride-sharing services are gaining popularity, providing an alternative to car ownership.

These services help reduce the number of vehicles on the road, potentially easing congestion.

Worldwide
New Zealand

Traffic Rankings

The Traffic Index for New Zealand combines user-contributed data on commute times, traffic dissatisfaction, CO2 emissions, and traffic system inefficiencies in New Zealand, to provide insights into overall traffic conditions.
Worst to BestUpdated: Oct, 2025