Are your roads busier post-pandemic?

[raymondo60]

Don't know about you all, but where I ride the roads just seem so much busier than before the dreaded pandemic started.
I live in suburban Surrey, about 18 miles from Central London. My leisure riding is mostly in and around the Surrey Hills, and I commute into town once or twice a week.
On my commute, the roads seem much busier. I know people who have been driving to work in London, rather than using Public Transport, but I expected that to change as restrictions relaxed. However, it doesn't seem to be the case. My 18 mile journey is just a continuous line of vehicles.
It's on my rides around Surrey that I've noticed the difference more. The country roads are just rammed with motorists. What were previously tranquil lanes are now filled with cars and vans, even single-track roads.
I appreciate that I live and ride near one of the world's busiest cities, and the South-East is probably more densely populated than any other part of the country, but my perception is that its just a whole lot busier out there.
Is it the same where you are?

 

[vickster]

Around here (SW London) the roads were already pretty chocka, been getting progressively worse over the last 10 years or so since I started cycling again. Not helped by a massive proliferation of SUVs which take up more space and whose owners seem often incapable of driving something so big (not to mention delivery vans which just stop or do U-turns without any due consideration for other road users who may be around ). Oh and the eejits on delivery scooters, although at least they are small even if ineptly ridden

I don't commute now, but when I do venture out in rush hour, it's pretty grim

 

[fossyant]

Commute traffic is now back to pre-covid levels - or so my wife tells me - it's taking 90 minutes to get 10-11 miles home from Manchester City Centre - less bad in the morning, but she set's off at 7am.

I've got back on the bike though, so it's a guaranteed hour for 13 miles off road along the canal, so not really noticed the traffic.

Locally, traffic as bad as usual - weekend probably similar as before, although some roads on my training route are a bit quieter with a bypass having opened.

 

[ianrauk]

Yep, significantly more busier these days. People got out of the habit of using public transport and reverted to mostly driving.
Here is the SE of London it can be horrendous at times.

 

[Brandane]

One of the advantages of living in the damp, cold, windy Costa Clyde area . Traffic levels are not noticeably heavier than pre-covid. My 10 mile commute at 8 am takes 15 minutes, and the same coming home at 12.30. Not a road I would consider for cycling though.
Being a tourist area we are weather dependent though. Once the sun comes out (for those few days in June if recent form is anything to go by) the traffic can go ballistic on weekend afternoons. The soaring petrol prices might affect that; but people always seem to find the money for that?

 

[Oldhippy]

No political will whatsoever to price motorists out of their cars or consider last mile delivery or make any meaningful concessions to environmentally friendly transport.

 

[matticus]

Weekends? hard to say. Probably still below pre-Covid.
Weekdays? clearly below pre-covid. But the variance is much higher e.g. Fridays are nearly always quiet. One day of tue/wed/thu* is generally a real corker.

So we're way way up on April 2020, or Feb 2021. But still a measurable amount down on Mar 2019.
[I do mostly the same commute daily since before 2019.]


*A friend calls these the TW*T days - it's when he works in the office, and many colleagues.

 

[Mo1959]

Definitely feels much busier around here and starting earlier in the mornings than it used to. Meanwhile we have quite good bus services with two or three people in them. Something has to change drastically to encourage people out of their cars.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Commute traffic is now back to pre-covid levels - or so my wife tells me - it's taking 90 minutes to get 10-11 miles home from Manchester City Centre - less bad in the morning, but she set's off at 7am.

Taking twice as long as it would to cycle it…

 

[vickster]

Commute traffic is now back to pre-covid levels - or so my wife tells me - it's taking 90 minutes to get 10-11 miles home from Manchester City Centre - less bad in the morning, but she set's off at 7am.

I've got back on the bike though, so it's a guaranteed hour for 13 miles off road along the canal, so not really noticed the traffic.

Locally, traffic as bad as usual - weekend probably similar as before, although some roads on my training route are a bit quieter with a bypass having opened.

Would a train not be quicker Even with a walk/cycle either end? I’d go mad sat in traffic like that (I used to back in about 2000 having changed jobs, I moved house!)

 

[fossyant]

Would a train not be quicker Even with a walk/cycle either end? I’d go mad sat in traffic like that (I used to back in about 2000 having changed jobs, I moved house!)

Potentially about the same - we're 15 mins from the station, 25 mins train, then she is a good 30 minutes walk the other side - takes about 90 minutes door to door. Mornings it's about 45 mins in the car. We do do it occasionally - I'm on the train tomorrow as I've some beer to be drunk after work, so don't want to fall off the bike.

 

[fossyant]

Taking twice as long as it would to cycle it…

I'll let you tell her

 

[vickster]

Potentially about the same - we're 15 mins from the station, 25 mins train, then she is a good 30 minutes walk the other side - takes about 90 minutes door to door. Mornings it's about 45 mins in the car. We do do it occasionally - I'm on the train tomorrow as I've some beer to be drunk after work, so don't want to fall off the bike.

No other option beyond the walk? Manc has trams must move quicker than traffic?

 

[oldwheels]

Staycations have boosted traffic levels here and idiot parking in passing places. Not commuting as such but just driving around looking up for the magic Tourist Eagles rather than watching the road.

 

[tyred]

I don't see much difference around here to be honest.