Is Rush Hour Evolving?

Depending on your work schedule, this could be either good or bad news: rush hour traffic is changing. A new study reveals that there are fewer cars on the road before 9 A.M. these days, as traffic is becoming more spread out throughout the day. But in many cities, this also means a mini rush hour that stretches all day long.

The research shows that “midday rush hour” is now worse than ever, with nearly as many cars on the road at noon as there are at 9 A.M. and 5 P.M. This trend has been growing since the rise of flexible hybrid work schedules following the COVID-19 pandemic.

You might think this would eliminate the rush hour altogether, but another report suggests otherwise. Public transportation hasn’t fully bounced back post-pandemic, so more people are driving, which keeps traffic levels high.

According to the traffic analyst behind the study, there’s “less of a morning commute, less of an evening commute, and much more afternoon activity.” And this trend might be here to stay, as he refers to it as the “new normal.”