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HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — If you’ve hit the road recently as businesses reopen, you may have noticed people driving faster.
It’s a problem across the country right now, and last week, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez tweeted a request for drivers to “respect the speed limit and drive attentively,” also saying that “traffic speeds seem to be out of control.”
Ed Gonzalez✔@SheriffEd_HCSO
With congestion-free roads, ensure you respect the speed limit and drive attentively. Watch for pedestrians and cyclists as they are out enjoying the much needed fresh air during #COVID19. @HCSOPatrol & I were just talking how traffic speeds seem to be out of control. He referred https://twitter.com/emilycovey/status/1255631269393817600 …
Emily Covey@emilycoveyJust witnessed a biker yell at a truck for jumping out onto the Fairview “bike route,” then the truck peeled after her in rage. Hope she is ok. It’s time for protected bike lanes on all our bike routes!!! @BikeHouston @CarletonGeoff @allynwest @Robin_Holzer @AbbieKamin
Houston Transtar data gives us a window into what a big difference the pandemic has made in traffic speeds.
The Southwest Freeway evening commute at the end of April last year moved at an average speed of 35 miles per hour. This year during the pandemic it averaged 60 miles per hour.
In the same way, on the I-10 Katy freeway, the evening drive from downtown Houston averaged 25 miles per hour, while in late April this year it averaged 64 miles per hour.
The data also shows the traffic volume is picking up again, which is all the more reason you can no longer drive like you’re the only one on the road.