road congestion
Bumper-to-bumper standstill
Road congestion is the condition of too many vehicles trying to use the same roads at the same time, causing traffic to slow or stop.
Rush hour produces predictable congestion; accidents or construction create unexpected backups.
The term appears in urban planning and transportation policy discussions: The new highway was supposed to reduce road congestion, but it just attracted more drivers.
- rush hourBusiest commuting period
- morning commuteRegular trip to work
- gridlockComplete mutual obstruction
- stop and goIntermittent motion pattern
- delaysPauses before proceeding
bottlenecks · highway backup · accidents · fender bender · commute · alternate route · carpooling · air pollution · public transit · jam · snarl · traffic volume · chokepoint · rubbernecking · fuel consumption · carbon emissions · traffic · bike lanes
road congestionsmooth sailing
Untroubled progress forward
open road · free flow · light traffic · traffic flow · clear sailing