In 2024, Lexington, KY, sees a heavy reliance on cars for commuting, with a significant portion of the population also using bicycles. The city's traffic data highlights key areas for improvement, particularly in reducing CO2 emissions and enhancing transportation efficiency.

Average Commute Times

The average commute time in Lexington is approximately 24.79 minutes, with most of this time spent driving.
  • Car - For car users, the average driving time is around 25.83 minutes, covering a distance of 16.53 km.
  • Bicycle - Cyclists spend about 2.64 minutes on their commute, indicating short travel distances.
Traffic Breakdown
Car
86%
Bicycle
14%
Seasonal Trends

Traffic tends to increase during the fall as students return to school, impacting commute times. Winter weather can lead to slower traffic due to icy road conditions.

Commuter Pain Points

Limited public transportation options force reliance on cars, contributing to high CO2 emissions. Traffic congestion during peak hours leads to increased commute times.

Best Travel Times

Early mornings before 7 AM and late evenings after 7 PM are the best times to avoid traffic congestion. Midday travel between 11 AM and 1 PM is also relatively smooth.

Event Impacts

Public events at the University of Kentucky significantly increase traffic congestion in surrounding areas. Horse racing events at Keeneland can lead to temporary road closures and detours.

Sustainability Efforts

Lexington is investing in expanding its bicycle lanes to encourage eco-friendly commuting. The city is exploring electric bus options to reduce public transport emissions.

Ride-Sharing Impact

Ride-sharing services have helped reduce the number of cars on the road, slightly easing congestion. However, increased ride-sharing can lead to more short trips, potentially increasing overall traffic volume.

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: Dec, 2024
Full Traffic Rankings

Traffic Data

The following traffic data has been gathered from 14 user contributions.
Overall average travel
Distance
9.3 miles
Driving Car
22.1 mins
Bicycle
2.6 mins
Motorcycle
0.0 mins
Total:
24.8 mins
Average when primarily using Car
Distance
10.3 miles
Driving Car
25.8 mins
Total:
25.8 mins
Lexington Traffic

"Key Takeaways"

Increasing bicycle infrastructure and promoting cycling could reduce traffic inefficiencies and emissions.

Developing public transportation options may help decrease car dependency and improve commute times.

Key Indexes

Emissions

Lexington's CO2 emissions index is notably high at 5890, indicating a significant environmental impact.

Efforts to reduce car dependency could help lower emissions.

Time

The time index of 24.79 suggests moderate traffic delays during peak hours.

Improving public transport options could alleviate time spent in traffic.

Inefficiency

With an inefficiency index of 99.78, Lexington's traffic system shows room for improvement.

Enhancing bicycle infrastructure could reduce inefficiencies.