In 2024, Palm Springs sees a dominant reliance on cars for commuting, with minimal use of public transportation. The city's traffic patterns highlight significant car usage, contributing to notable CO2 emissions.

Average Commute Times

The average commute time in Palm Springs is approximately 17.5 minutes, with most of this time spent driving.
  • Car - For those commuting by car, the average driving time is 18.6 minutes over a distance of 16.45 km.
  • Walking - Walking commutes average 10 minutes for a distance of 2 km.
Traffic Breakdown
Car
83%
Walking
17%
Seasonal Trends

Traffic tends to increase during the winter months when tourism peaks in Palm Springs. Summer sees a slight reduction in traffic as temperatures rise and tourism decreases.

Commuter Pain Points

Limited public transportation options force reliance on cars, leading to congestion. High temperatures can make walking and cycling less appealing during summer months.

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

Events like the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival significantly increase traffic congestion. Local festivals and conventions can also lead to temporary traffic spikes.

Sustainability Efforts

Palm Springs is exploring the expansion of bike lanes to encourage cycling. The city is considering investments in electric vehicle charging stations to promote sustainable transport.

Ride-Sharing Impact

Ride-sharing services have helped reduce the number of cars on the road, albeit marginally. These services provide a flexible alternative to car ownership, especially for tourists.

Worldwide
United States

Traffic Rankings

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: Feb, 2025
Full Traffic Rankings

Traffic Data

The following traffic data has been gathered from 6 user contributions.
Overall average travel
Distance
8.7 miles
Walking
1.7 mins
Driving Car
15.8 mins
Total:
17.5 mins
Average when primarily using Car
Distance
10.2 miles
Driving Car
18.6 mins
Total:
18.6 mins
Average when primarily using Walking
Distance
1.2 miles
Walking
10.0 mins
Driving Car
2.0 mins
Total:
12.0 mins
Palm Springs Traffic

"Key Takeaways"

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

Investing in public transportation infrastructure could alleviate car dependency and improve traffic flow.

Key Indexes

Emissions

Palm Springs has a high CO2 emissions index of 4211.67, largely due to the high percentage of car usage.

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

Time

The average time index is 17.5, indicating moderate commute times across the city.

Improving public transport could help reduce these times further.

Inefficiency

The inefficiency index stands at 67.50, suggesting room for improvement in traffic management.

Addressing traffic bottlenecks could enhance overall efficiency.