Riverton commuters lose 40 minutes a day as morning gridlock hits a new low

Morning commuters in Riverton are spending more time in their cars than ever before. Figures released this week by the city’s traffic management center show that average rush-hour speeds on the five busiest avenues fell to 14 kilometers per hour last month, down from 19 a year ago. For a typical commuter crossing the city, that adds up to around 40 extra minutes behind the wheel every working day.

The slowdown comes as fuel prices climb for a third consecutive month. Drivers are paying more at the pump, then burning that fuel while standing still.

Why the queues keep growing

Traffic engineers point to several overlapping causes. Three major road projects are running at the same time on the eastern approaches, the number of registered cars in the capital is up six percent on last year, and the park-and-ride lots at the city’s edge are full by 7:40 most mornings. Founders Avenue, the main link between the northern suburbs and the center, is now the slowest stretch in the city, with some drivers needing half an hour to cover three kilometers.

People assume high fuel prices will push drivers out of their cars. That only happens when there is a real alternative, and for many neighborhoods there isn’t one yet.

Helena Marsh, transport researcher at Elmbridge University

Daniel Okafor, a pharmacist who drives in from Westmoor, says he has already changed his routine twice. “I leave at ten past seven and still sit at the same set of lights for twenty minutes,” he said. “I spend more on fuel than last winter, and I get to work later.”

Bus passengers are not spared either. Without dedicated lanes on most avenues, buses sit in the same queues as cars, and the city’s own data shows that only 61 percent of morning services ran on time last month.

What the city plans

Deputy mayor for mobility Tomas Reyes said the city will test smarter signal timing on Founders Avenue from next month and wants dedicated bus lanes on two avenues by spring. The transport ministry is also reviewing whether commuter trains from Westmoor and Cedar Falls can run every ten minutes at peak times instead of every twenty.

Opposition councillors argue the plans come too late. The city council is due to vote on the bus lane proposal next month, and residents can comment on the routes until the end of this month.