A National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board (TPB) analysis shows roadway traffic volumes are rebounding in the region after bottoming out in late spring, likely due to stay-at-home measures taken to slow the spread of COVID-19.
Source: TPB Analysis of Continuous Count Station Data
Traffic levels were recorded well below 2019 levels beginning in March of this year (-21.9 percent), reached their lowest point in April (-50.5 percent), and began to rebound in May. In the summer months, traffic levels were nearly 20 percent lower than the same period in 2019.
Typical weekday morning and afternoon traffic peaks were also noted to be less prominent since the pandemic began in the region.
Source: TPB Analysis of Continuous Count Station Data
The TPB’s analysis also noted differences in traffic levels between the region’s core, inner, and outer rings. Of the three jurisdictional groupings, the region’s core—or District of Columbia, Arlington, and Alexandria—experienced the biggest drop in traffic, and has been the slowest to rebound. Traffic is rebounding the fastest in the outer jurisdictions—or Loudoun, Prince William, Frederick, Charles, and Calvert counties—with summer 2020 traffic levels recorded just 15 percent lower than 2019 levels.
Source: TPB Analysis of Continuous Count Station Data
Finally, the TPB analysis also compared air travel between 2019 and 2020.
Air travel dropped off quickly in the early months of the pandemic, with April 2020 enplanements dropping approximately 96 percent from April 2019 levels.
Air travel is beginning to recover, although slightly. July 2020 enplanements were still significantly below July 2019 levels (approximately -74 percent).
Source: TPB Analysis of Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority and BWI-Thurgood Marshall Airport Data
The TPB intends to provide monthly updates to this information, part of its ongoing work to examine the pandemic’s transportation impacts from several perspectives and using a variety of sources.
MORE: COVID-19 Travel Monitoring Snapshot