Traffic Uptick - Explain It to Idiot (Me)

[Anonymous]

I've been commuting from Northern Virginia to DC for a decade. While I've never measured times, it seems like traffic is even worse than pre-pandemic now. I also commuted throughout the pandemic because I have to be in-person, so I cannot tell if it is actually worse or if I've just lost perspective. I'm also confused about how it is so bad with so many people only working in-person a few days a week.

I feel like I'm missing something fundamental - help, please? And are there common ways to avoid it while working a fairly standard day (in between 7-9, out between 4-6)?

[Anonymous]

I think a lot fewer people are taking metro or carpooling because of the different telework schedules. So you have more individual cars on the road, even with fewer people working in person.

Also many of us moved further out and now drive when we didn't before - the housing threads are full of "families all over the world live in apartments!" but months of both parents and kids at home in an apartment, in some cases with few amenities (I mean "in-unit laundry and dishwasher" not "pool and gym"), made that a pretty unappealing way to live.

[Anonymous]

I think more people are driving, and driving further because they moved further out, and also people are worse drivers now after the pandemic, which worsens traffic.

[Anonymous]

More people are driving bc of metro issues and realized they prefer the solitude of driving. Because they only go on 2-3x/wk, they can justify paying for parking (when before they would have had to pay for 5 days/wk).
People moved farther out bc again, they only go in 2-3 days/wk.

[Anonymous]

OP here - thanks, PPs. That makes perfect sense. I was sure I was missing something obvious, and I was. I'll see myself out and go get another cup of coffee, This is torture, though, but I guess I should assume this is just the "new normal" from here on out.

[Anonymous]

Feds went back into the office last months, even if only 1–3x per week. It really adds up.

[Anonymous]

My pet theory is because more people have flexible schedules, they are also more willing to drive extra trips during the day to take their children to activities after school. Of course, some of these jobs would’ve done in the past by a babysitter or someone else.

But my day used to be, get up, drive (or metro) to work, drive home. Now it is, get up, drive a carpool to schools, come home, drive (or metro) to work, drive home, drive a car pool from/to school or sports or both, and maybe run an errand or two, and then dinner, with some emailing and calls here and there. And spouse is on similar schedule — a lot more variability in the day that leads to more trips.

[Anonymous]

People have forgotten how to drive, creating backups that have a domino effect.

People who block turn lanes, block intersections, drive slow in the left lane, drive slow while using their phone, etc.