Does metro Phoenix have rush hour traffic? Here's when freeways are busiest
As a commuter in the Phoenix metro area, it can seem as if anytime you head out the door you can expect to endure at least a small amount of traffic. Whether it's the middle of a weekday or during an early morning commute, traffic doesn't appear to slow down, or does it?
Although it's unlikely you'll get on the road without the company of other cars, knowing when Phoenix traffic is at its peak can at least give you the heads up.
So, when is Phoenix traffic at its worst? Here's what to know.
When is rush hour in Phoenix?
According to Vladimir Livshits, the director of transportation technologies and services at the Maricopa Association of Governments, there are two peak rush hour traffic periods in Phoenix, which occur every morning and every evening.
Livshits said he used data based on the ADOT Freeway Management System that detected and recorded traffic volumes on freeways from 2021 to determine Phoenix traffic trends.
"Overall, we observe 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. peak periods. 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. is the busiest hour, especially for weekdays," he said.
Livshits noted that although the ADOT data is from 2021, he and his team said they feel it is still relevant even though traffic volume has increased.
"Overall volume of traffic keeps increasing since COVID and in many instances exceeded pre-COVID traffic volumes," Livshits stated.
What time is the HOV lane in Phoenix?
The metro Phoenix freeway system has over 175 miles of HOV lanes that commuters can use. For some parts of the day the HOV lanes are unrestricted for anyone to use and are only restricted during a few crucial hours.
According to the Arizona Department of Transportation, the HOV lane rules are only enforced Monday through Friday, beginning at 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. during the morning and evening traffic rush hours.
To use the HOV lanes during the enforced time, rules state you must have at least two people in your vehicle or risk a fine starting at $350.
However, not all vehicles need two passengers. According to ADOT, buses, motorcycles, emergency response vehicles and specific alternative fuel vehicles bearing Arizona’s special “Clean Air – Blue Skies” license plate are free to use the lanes.
When do most vehicle crashes in Phoenix happen?
Does that mean that most car crashes in Phoenix happen during rush hour?
According to the data from the Arizona Department of Transportation, there were 119,991 total crashes in Arizona in 2022.
The data showed that most motorcycle crashes occurred during the 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. rush hour. However, data shows that the peak hour for all vehicle crashes was between 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. slightly before the busiest hour.
Crashes with the most fatalities also did not occur during the busiest traffic rush hour. According to the ADOT's data, there were 1,294 fatal crashes in 2022, with most of them having occurred between 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: What time is traffic worst in metro Phoenix? What to know about rush hour
