Phoenix, AZ, primarily relies on cars for commuting, with over 90% of residents using this mode of transportation. Despite the dominance of car travel, the city faces challenges with CO2 emissions and traffic inefficiency.

Average Commute Times

The average commute involves 30.28 minutes of driving and minimal waiting, covering a distance of 26.33 miles.
  • Bus - Bus commuters spend about 60 minutes on the bus, with an additional 15 minutes waiting and 10 minutes walking, covering 20.66 miles.
  • Car - Car users drive for approximately 32.05 minutes with negligible waiting time, traveling around 27.43 miles.
  • Walking - Walking commuters spend about 23.25 minutes walking, with a total commute distance of 2.17 miles.
Traffic Breakdown
Car
91%
Walking
4%
Home
4%
Bus
2%
Seasonal Trends

Traffic tends to increase during the winter months as tourists visit the city. Summer sees a slight decrease in traffic due to the extreme heat, which discourages travel.

Commuter Pain Points

High dependency on cars leads to congestion and long commute times. Limited public transportation options make it difficult for non-drivers to commute efficiently.

Best Travel Times

Early mornings before 7 AM and late evenings after 7 PM are the best times to avoid traffic. Midday travel between 10 AM and 2 PM can also be less congested.

Event Impacts

Major events like sports games and festivals can significantly increase traffic congestion. Planning travel around these events can help avoid delays.

Sustainability Efforts

Phoenix is investing in expanding its light rail system to provide more sustainable commuting options. The city is also promoting carpooling and electric vehicle use to reduce emissions.

Ride-Sharing Impact

Ride-sharing services have helped reduce the number of cars on the road, offering flexible commuting options. However, they also contribute to traffic congestion during peak hours.

Worldwide
United States

Traffic Rankings

Phoenix ranks 31st on the Traffic rankings in United States. The Traffic Index for the United States combines user-contributed data on commute times, traffic dissatisfaction, CO2 emissions, and traffic system inefficiencies in United States, to provide insights into overall traffic conditions.

Worst to BestUpdated: Dec, 2024
Full Traffic Rankings

Traffic Data

The following traffic data has been gathered from 108 user contributions.
Overall average travel
Distance
16.4 miles
Walking
1.3 mins
Waiting
0.3 mins
Driving Car
30.3 mins
Bus / Trolley
1.2 mins
Total:
33.0 mins
Average when primarily using Bus
Distance
12.8 miles
Walking
10.0 mins
Waiting
15.0 mins
Bus / Trolley
60.0 mins
Total:
85.0 mins
Average when primarily using Car
Distance
17.0 miles
Walking
0.2 mins
Driving Car
32.1 mins
Total:
32.2 mins
Average when primarily using Walking
Distance
1.3 miles
Walking
23.3 mins
Driving Car
2.0 mins
Total:
25.3 mins
Phoenix Traffic

"Key Takeaways"

Promoting public transportation and alternative commuting methods could reduce CO2 emissions.

Infrastructure improvements are necessary to address traffic inefficiencies and reduce commute times.

Key Indexes

Emissions

Phoenix has a high CO2 emission index of 8100.33, indicating significant environmental impact.

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

Time

The time index of 32.97 suggests moderate traffic delays.

Improving public transportation could help reduce commute times.

Inefficiency

The inefficiency index is 169.68, reflecting potential areas for traffic flow improvement.

Investments in infrastructure could alleviate inefficiencies.