Study reveals Los Angeles traffic returning to pre-pandemic levels
LOS ANGELES - The pre-pandemic level of traffic is back and it’s the kind of traffic Los Angeles is infamous for.
“That is one thing as an essential worker I did not miss. I really wish I could just fly down the freeway to get to work in five, ten minutes and come home and now it’s about 35-40,” a Los Angeles driver told FOX 11.
Also making a return? Frustrated drivers.
"At this hour of the day, yeah there’s a few more people, a few more idiots out there this early,” another resident said about their early morning commute.
Even though so many people are still working from home or not working at all, combined with the fact that most kids aren’t leaving their house for school, a new study by the Southern California Association of Governments, a transportation planning agency, revealed that in mid-May, stop and go traffic started makings its come back. This after being down a whopping 80% from normal levels.
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For classic car lover James Swann, an essential employee who drives a 1966 Chevy Chevelle SS everyday, the decrease of traffic was great.
“I didn’t have to worry about anyone getting too close, changing lanes into me,” Swann said.
Traffic is now only about 10% lower than before the coronavirus hit.
The report also confirmed bus ridership is down, falling 71% in April compared to last year, a reflection of both people being out of work and others choosing to drive themselves to avoid crowds.
Although many had hoped with more people choosing to work from home, heavy traffic and those long commute times would remain a thing of the past, some residents see traffic as a sign that things are finally getting back to normal.
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