In 2024, Bedford's transportation landscape is dominated by car usage, with a significant portion of the population also opting for bicycles. The city's traffic indexes reveal areas for improvement, particularly in reducing CO2 emissions and addressing inefficiencies.

Average Commute Times

The average commute time in Bedford is approximately 31.25 minutes, with most residents traveling by car or bicycle.
  • Car - For those commuting by car, the average driving time is around 41.67 minutes, covering a distance of nearly 36 kilometers.
Traffic Breakdown
Car
75%
Bicycle
25%
Seasonal Trends

Traffic tends to increase during the summer months as more people travel for leisure. Winter months see a slight decrease in bicycle usage due to colder weather.

Commuter Pain Points

High reliance on cars leads to congestion during peak hours. Limited public transport options restrict commuting flexibility.

Best Travel Times

Early mornings before 7 AM and late evenings after 7 PM are ideal for avoiding heavy traffic. Midday travel is generally smoother due to reduced congestion.

Event Impacts

Public events in the city center can lead to temporary road closures and increased traffic. Festivals and local celebrations often require alternative routes for commuters.

Sustainability Efforts

Bedford is exploring initiatives to expand its cycling network and promote eco-friendly transport. The city is considering incentives for electric vehicle usage to reduce emissions.

Ride-Sharing Impact

Ride-sharing services are gaining popularity, offering flexible commuting options and reducing the need for personal vehicles. These services help alleviate parking issues in densely populated areas.

Worldwide
United Kingdom

Traffic Rankings

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

Worst to BestUpdated: Feb, 2025
Full Traffic Rankings

Traffic Data

The following traffic data has been gathered from 4 user contributions.
Overall average travel
Distance
18.0 miles
Driving Car
31.3 mins
Bicycle
6.3 mins
Motorcycle
0.0 mins
Total:
37.5 mins
Average when primarily using Car
Distance
22.3 miles
Driving Car
41.7 mins
Total:
41.7 mins
Bedford Traffic

"Key Takeaways"

Encouraging the use of bicycles and improving cycling infrastructure could help reduce CO2 emissions.

Implementing smarter traffic management systems may decrease commute times and inefficiencies.

Key Indexes

Emissions

Bedford's CO2 emissions index is notably high at 8312.5, indicating a significant environmental impact from transportation.

Efforts to reduce car dependency could help lower emissions.

Time

The time index of 37.5 suggests moderate traffic delays, impacting daily commutes.

Optimizing traffic flow could improve commute times.

Inefficiency

The inefficiency index stands at 169.61, highlighting potential areas for improving traffic management.

Investments in public transport infrastructure could alleviate inefficiencies.