Barcelona's transportation landscape in 2024 is diverse, with walking being the most popular mode of commuting. The city faces challenges with CO2 emissions and traffic inefficiencies, but there are opportunities for improvement.

Average Commute Times

The average commute involves 1.82 minutes of waiting, 6.23 minutes of driving, and 8.29 minutes of walking over a distance of 9.45 km.
  • Bus - Bus commuters spend 6.75 minutes waiting and 35 minutes on the bus, covering a distance of 12.21 km.
  • Car - Car users drive for 35.73 minutes and walk for 0.73 minutes, traveling 21.2 km.
  • Train - Train passengers wait for 4.75 minutes and spend 25.82 minutes on the train, with a total walking time of 8.79 minutes over 12.34 km.
  • Walking - Pedestrians walk for 20.68 minutes, with minimal time spent on other modes, covering 3.04 km.
Traffic Breakdown
Walking
26%
Train
18%
Car
17%
Motorcycle
14%
Bicycle
10%
Bus
8%
Home
4%
Tram
3%
Seasonal Trends

Traffic tends to increase during the summer months due to tourism, impacting commute times. Winter sees a slight decrease in traffic as fewer tourists visit the city.

Commuter Pain Points

High CO2 emissions are a concern for environmentally conscious commuters. Traffic inefficiencies lead to longer commute times, especially during peak hours.

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, with fewer delays.

Event Impacts

Major public events like festivals and football matches can significantly disrupt traffic patterns. Residents are advised to use public transport during such events to avoid congestion.

Sustainability Efforts

Barcelona is investing in expanding its bicycle lanes and promoting electric vehicles to reduce emissions. The city is also enhancing its public transport network to encourage more sustainable commuting.

Ride-Sharing Impact

Ride-sharing services have helped reduce the number of private cars on the road. These services offer a flexible alternative to traditional public transport, especially during off-peak hours.

Traffic Rankings

Barcelona ranks 2nd on the Traffic rankings in Spain. The Traffic Index for Spain combines user-contributed data on commute times, traffic dissatisfaction, CO2 emissions, and traffic system inefficiencies in Spain, to provide insights into overall traffic conditions.

Worst to BestUpdated: Dec, 2024

Traffic Data

The following traffic data has been gathered from 155 user contributions.
Overall average travel
Distance
5.9 miles
Walking
8.3 mins
Waiting
1.8 mins
Driving Car
6.2 mins
Bus / Trolley
3.0 mins
Bicycle
2.1 mins
Motorcycle
2.7 mins
Train
5.4 mins
Tram
0.7 mins
Other
0.1 mins
Total:
30.3 mins
Average when primarily using Bus
Distance
7.6 miles
Walking
6.2 mins
Waiting
6.8 mins
Bus / Trolley
35.0 mins
Train
0.8 mins
Total:
48.8 mins
Average when primarily using Car
Distance
13.2 miles
Walking
0.7 mins
Driving Car
35.7 mins
Total:
36.5 mins
Average when primarily using Train
Distance
7.7 miles
Walking
8.8 mins
Waiting
4.8 mins
Bus / Trolley
0.4 mins
Train
25.8 mins
Other
0.5 mins
Total:
40.3 mins
Average when primarily using Walking
Distance
1.9 miles
Walking
20.7 mins
Waiting
1.0 mins
Bus / Trolley
0.1 mins
Bicycle
0.2 mins
Motorcycle
0.3 mins
Train
1.8 mins
Tram
0.6 mins
Total:
24.7 mins
Barcelona Traffic

"Key Takeaways"

Walking is the most common commuting method, highlighting the city's pedestrian-friendly infrastructure.

Reducing CO2 emissions remains a priority, with potential improvements in public transport and cycling infrastructure.

Key Indexes

Emissions

Barcelona's CO2 emissions index is 2342.71, indicating a significant environmental impact.

Efforts to reduce emissions could focus on increasing the use of bicycles and public transport.

Time

The average commute time index is 30.32, reflecting moderate traffic delays.

Improving public transport efficiency could help reduce overall commute times.

Inefficiency

The traffic inefficiency index stands at 120.95, suggesting room for optimization.

Encouraging flexible work hours could alleviate peak time congestion.