COVID Recovery: Bridge Traffic Near Normal Levels as Commuters Avoid Transit

New data analyzed by the Bay Area Council Economic Institute provides another barometer of the region’s economic recovery. Traffic on Bay Area bridges as of October 22 is down approximately 20% from pre-COVID-19 levels. Interestingly, the Bay Bridge (down just 13%) is one of a number of bridges that are experiencing traffic flows relatively close to normal levels. While many people working from home are able to forego their Bay Bridge trips, these numbers likely reflect a shift from BART rides to car rides, as BART ridership remains down close to 90%.

On the other end of the spectrum, traffic to the Peninsula on the San Mateo Bridge and to the South Bay on the Dumbarton Bridge is down 34% and 44%, respectively, as these geographies have a high prevalence of office jobs that are eligible for remote work. Visit the Economic Institute’s new Bay Area Economic Profile website for more information like this on the region’s post-COVID-19 economic recovery.