Tina Bellon

(Reuters) – The initial pandemic brought about empty roads and clean air. However, many cities around the world are now experiencing traffic congestion. However, the study that was published Tuesday in the U.S. shows that the U.K.’s downtown areas remain more busy than the rest of the country as workers work remotely.

The number of trips to the U.S.’s downtown areas was 22% lower than pre-pandemic levels and as low as 49% for San Francisco where tech workers still work remotely. This is according to INRIX Inc, who conducted a traffic study in 2021 that included more than 1000 cities.

According to Bob Pishue of INRIX Transportation Analyst and the author of this study, while downtown UK trips remain at 19% less than they were pre-pandemic, the numbers are now back up to the pre-COVID strengths in Germany.

He stated that congestion in the U.S. is unlikely to return to its pre-2001 state for at least 2022.

(Graphic: Work-from-home leaves U.S. downtowns empty, https://graphics.reuters.com/AUTOS-CONGESTION/xmvjonklgpr/chart.png)

The study found that traffic, which is closely linked to recovery and economic activity, has experienced uneven returns around the globe.

London’s average driver was stuck in traffic for 148 hours this year. That is almost the same time as before the pandemic. But, an average driver in the United States lost only 36 hours and that is nearly 43% less than pre-pandemic.

(Graphic: Global traffic returned, but remains below pre-COVID levels, https://graphics.reuters.com/AUTOS-CONGESTION/lbvgnlgnepq/chart.png)

Pishue explained that these stark differences result from governments’ different approaches to pandemic restriction, the city’s structures in downtown business centres, and workers’ freedom to telecommute.

Pishue said, “There are many answers to everything. It is very complicated.”

Pishue stated that traffic is not affected by vaccination rates. Remote work, however, appears to be a bigger driver. Washington DC is an example of this. Although nearly 80% are immunized, traffic hours remain at 65%.