In 2024, Chapel Hill, NC, is heavily reliant on cars for commuting, with 100% of trips made by car. The city's traffic data reveals significant CO2 emissions and inefficiencies, prompting a need for sustainable transportation solutions.

Average Commute Times

The average commute time in Chapel Hill is 40 minutes, with all trips made by car.
  • Car - Car commuters in Chapel Hill experience an average driving time of 40 minutes per trip.
Traffic Breakdown
Car
100%
Seasonal Trends

Traffic tends to increase during the university's academic year, affecting commute times. Summer months see a slight decrease in traffic as students leave for break.

Commuter Pain Points

Limited public transportation options force reliance on cars, leading to congestion. Parking scarcity in downtown areas adds to commuter frustration.

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 is also less congested.

Event Impacts

University events and sports games significantly increase traffic congestion. Planning travel around major events can help avoid delays.

Sustainability Efforts

Chapel Hill is exploring the expansion of bike lanes to encourage cycling. The city is considering investments in electric bus fleets to reduce emissions.

Ride-Sharing Impact

Ride-sharing services have slightly reduced the need for personal car ownership. Increased ride-sharing could further decrease traffic congestion and emissions.

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 5 user contributions.
Overall average travel
Distance
25.8 miles
Driving Car
40.0 mins
Total:
40.0 mins
Average when primarily using Car
Distance
25.8 miles
Driving Car
40.0 mins
Total:
40.0 mins
Chapel Hill Traffic

"Key Takeaways"

Chapel Hill's reliance on cars is contributing to high CO2 emissions and traffic inefficiencies.

Introducing more public transport options and promoting cycling could improve traffic conditions.

Key Indexes

Emissions

Chapel Hill has a high CO2 emission index of 10640, indicating significant environmental impact.

Efforts to reduce car dependency could help lower emissions.

Time

The time index of 40 suggests moderate traffic delays for car commuters.

Improving public transport options could alleviate time spent in traffic.

Inefficiency

The inefficiency index of 205.17 highlights substantial traffic inefficiencies.

Optimizing traffic flow and encouraging alternative transport modes could reduce inefficiencies.