Travel time measures for local 'A' roads: January to December 2023 report
Updated 3 October 2024
Applies to England
© Crown copyright 2024
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About this release
This statistical release presents information about travel times on Local Highway Authority managed ‘A’ roads in England. The measures in this release are estimated using in-vehicle Global Positioning Systems (GPS) observations.
An accompanying release covers data on the Strategic Road Network (SRN). Due to methodological differences between the local ‘A’ Road and SRN data these are not directly comparable, see the methodology and technical details section for further details.
These are accredited official statistics [footnote 1] and were independently reviewed by the Office for Statistics Regulation in 2012. For more information, see the About these statistics section.
Definitions of key terminology can be found in the glossary.
Notes on the methodology and sample
These travel-time measures are based on data matched to the Ordnance Survey Highways Network representation of the local ‘A’ road network in England.
1. Headline Statistics
On local ‘A’ roads in England in 2023, the average speed was 23.0 miles per hour (mph). This is down 2.1% from 23.5 mph in 2022 and up 0.4% from 22.9 mph in 2019.
The average delay on local ‘A’ roads in England in 2023 was 47.9 seconds per vehicle per mile (spvpm). This is up 5.3% from 45.5 spvpm in 2022 and down 0.6% from 48.2 spvpm in 2019.
Table 1: Average annual speed and annual delay on local ‘A’ roads per year (Tables CGN0503a and CGN0504a)
| Year | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average speed (mph) | 22.9 | 24.7 | 23.9 | 23.5 | 23.0 |
| Average delay (spvpm) | 48.2 | 40.2 | 43.4 | 45.5 | 47.9 |
2. National Overview
This section contains annual average speed and delay values for all of England for the year ending December 2023.
2.1 Speed
The average speed on Local ‘A’ roads in England across in 2023 was estimated to be 23.0 mph, a 2.1% decrease from 23.5 mph in 2022.
National average speed has reduced from 2022, this is part of a general trend back towards levels seen prior to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Chart 1: Average speed on Local ‘A’ roads in England (Table CGN0503a)
Graph showing average speed (miles per hour) on local ‘A’ roads for each month from 2019 to 2023. This figure shows that average speed in 2023 remains stable with pre-COVID-19 levels. See Table CGN0503a for full data.
2.2 Delay
The average delay on Local ‘A’ roads in England across in 2023 was estimated to be 47.9 spvpm, a 5.3% increase from 45.5 spvpm in 2022.
National average delay has increased from 2022, as with speed this is part of a general trend back towards levels seen prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Chart 2: Average delay on local ‘A’ roads in England (Table CGN0504a)
Graph showing average delay (seconds per vehicle per mile) on local ‘A’ roads for each month from 2019 to 2023. This figure shows that average delay in 2023 stabilised towards pre-COVID-19 trends. See Table CGN0504a for full data.
It is important to note that delay is affected by free flow speeds. As a result, a fixed absolute decrease in observed speeds will translate into a higher level of delay with a low free flow speed relative to those with a high free flow speed. An example of this is illustrated in Infographic 1.
Infographic 1: Illustrative example of average of delay
Illustrated example of delay on urban and rural roads. An observed average speed of 20 mph (3 minutes per mile) on an urban 30 mph freeflow road (2 minutes per mile) is a delay of 60 seconds per vehicle per mile. An observed average speed of 50 mph (1.2 minutes per mile) on a rural 60 mph freeflow road (1 minutes per mile) has a delay of 12 seconds per vehicle per mile.
3. Peak Times Breakdown
This section contains average speed and delay values for all of England for the year ending December 2023, split across the following time periods:
- Weekday Morning Peak – 7am to 10am Monday to Friday
- Weekday Evening Peak – 4pm to 7pm Monday to Friday
- Weekday Inter Peak – 10am to 4pm Monday to Friday
- Weekday Off Peak – 7pm to 7pm Monday to Friday
In general, the lowest speeds and highest delay values are observed in the morning and evening peak periods. The largest increase in delay and decrease in speed from 2022 to 2023 was found in the evening peak period.
3.1 Speed
Average speed split by time period for 2023 is given in Table 2 below:
Table 2: Average annual speed on local ‘A’ roads split by time period (Table CGN0503a)
| Time Period | 2022 Average speed (mph) | 2023 Average speed (mph) | % change from 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekday Morning Peak | 22.3 | 21.9 | -1.8 |
| Weekday Evening Peak | 21.4 | 20.8 | -2.8 |
| Weekday Inter Peak | 22.9 | 22.5 | -1.7 |
| Weekday Off Peak | 27.6 | 27.4 | -0.7 |
3.2 Delay
Average delay split by time period is given in the Table 3 below:
Table 3: Average annual delay on local ‘A’ roads split by time period (Table CGN0504a)
| Time Period | 2022 Average delay (spvpm) | 2023 Average delay (spvpm) | % change from 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekday Morning Peak | 53.0 | 55.5 | 4.7 |
| Weekday Evening Peak | 59.7 | 64.2 | 7.5 |
| Weekday Inter Peak | 49.1 | 51.2 | 4.3 |
| Weekday Off Peak | 23.3 | 24.1 | 3.4 |
4. Urban/Rural Split
This section contains average speed and delay values for all of England for the year ending December 2023, split between urban and rural roads.
Across 2023, urban areas saw greater changes in speed and delay than rural areas.
4.1 Speed
For the year ending December 2023, the average speed on urban classified local ‘A’ roads was 16.3 mph. This is down 3.0% from 16.8 mph the year ending December 2022.
For the year ending December 2023, the average speed on rural classified local ‘A’ roads was 33.4 mph. This is down 1.8% from 34.0 mph the year ending December 2022.
4.2 Delay
For the year ending December 2023, the average delay on urban classified local ‘A’ roads was 81.3 spvpm. This is up 7.0% from 76.0 spvpm for the year ending December 2022.
For the year ending December 2023, the average delay on rural classified local ‘A’ roads was 22.7 spvpm. This is up 5.1% from 21.6 spvpm for the year ending December 2022.
It is important to note that urban roads generally have lower free flow speeds than rural roads. As a result, a fixed absolute decrease in observed speeds will generally translate into a higher level of delay on urban roads relative to rural roads.
5. Sub-national Transport Bodies (STBs) Breakdown
This section contains average speed and delay values for the year ending December 2023, split by sub-national transport body. Map 1 displays the geographic coverage and delay values of the STBs.
What are STBs?
The Sub-national Transport Bodies are transport bodies formed of multiple local highways authorities to provide large-scale strategic governance. STBs are given statutory power through secondary legislation.
5.1 Speed
Annual average speeds for the STBs for the year ending December 2023 are given in Chart 3. Values for the year ending December 2022 are given for comparison.
Chart 3: Average speed on local ‘A’ roads by Sub-national Transport Bodies (Table CGN0503b)
| STB | 2022 Average Speed (mph) | 2023 Average Speed (mph) |
|---|---|---|
| Transport for the North | 23.9 | 23.5 |
| Midlands Connect | 25.8 | 25.6 |
| England’s Economic Heartland | 29.0 | 28.8 |
| Transport East | 29.5 | 29.5 |
| Greater London Authority | 14.3 | 13.6 |
| Transport for the South East | 25.3 | 24.6 |
| Western Gateway | 26.2 | 25.5 |
| Peninsula Transport | 28.7 | 28.0 |
A map displaying average speed on the Strategic Road Network split by Sub-national Transport Body is published on ArcGIS Online.
5.2 Delay
Annual average delay values for the STBs for the year ending December 2023 are given in Chart 4. Values for the year ending December 2022 are given for comparison.
Chart 4: Average delay on local ‘A’ roads by Sub-national Transport Bodies (Table CGN0504b).
| STB | 2022 Average Delay (spvpm) | 2023 Average Delay (spvpm) |
|---|---|---|
| Transport for the North | 42.3 | 44.3 |
| Midlands Connect | 37.2 | 38.4 |
| England’s Economic Heartland | 31.8 | 33.4 |
| Transport East | 29.4 | 30.4 |
| Greater London Authority | 102.0 | 110.8 |
| Transport for the South East | 40.1 | 43.1 |
| Western Gateway | 35.8 | 38.5 |
| Peninsula Transport | 28.4 | 30.1 |
Map 1: Average delay on local ‘A’ roads by Sub-national Transport Body in England, 2023 (Table CGN0504b)
Map showing average delay (seconds per vehicle per mile) on local ‘A’ roads in England split by Sub-national Transport Body. Transport for the North (44.3), Midlands Connect (38.4), England’s Economic Heartland (33.4), Transport East (30.4), Transport for South East (43.1), Western Gateway (38.5), Peninsula Transport (30.1), Greater London Authority (110.8).
6. Local Authority Breakdown
This section contains average speed and delay values for the year ending December 2023, split by Local Highway Authority.
The highest speeds, and correspondingly the lowest delay values, are generally found in rural Local Authorities.
Those local authorities that are urban see the associated increase in delay and decrease in speed over more rural authorities.
In London authorities that show some of the greatest changes, such as Merton and Tower Halmets, 2023 saw introductions of 20 mph zones that will have decreased speeds, which have a knock-on impact on average delay values.
Some of the other most-changed authorities such as Southampton, Sunderland, Swindon and Plymouth have all seen extensive road rehabilitation, resurfacing and repair works across 2023.
A map displaying average speed on local ‘A’ roads, split by Local Highway Authority is published on ArcGIS Online.
Average delay on Local ‘A’ Roads split by Local Highway Authority is shown in Map 2.
Map 2: Average delay on local ‘A’ roads by Local Highway Authority in England, 2023 (Table CGN0504d)
Map showing average delay (seconds per vehicle per mile) on local ‘A’ roads in England split by Local Highway Authority. Average delay on local ‘A’ roads is highest (over 70 spvpm) closest to most major cities, and lowest around the border counties, East and South West coasts where it is less than 30 spvpm. See Table CGN0504d for full data.
7. Further Geographic Breakdowns
Further geographic breakdown of speed and delay on Local ‘A’ Roads are included in the data tables as described below. Interactive maps visualising these breakdowns as well as those presented above are published on ArcGIS Online.
7.1 Combined Authorities
Data is available for combined authorities within the data tables CGN503c and CGN0504c.
7.2 Road Level
Travel time measures for individual Local ‘A’ roads are available from 2021 onwards. The annual average speed and average delay for individual roads can be found in Tables CGN0503e and CGN0504e.
8. Coronavirus (COVID-19) effect on congestion
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a marked impact on everyday life, including on congestion on the road network.
Exploratory analysis was conducted for 2020 to estimate the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on congestion and can be found at the storymap included with the 2020 annual publication. A fall in the number of vehicles on the roads could be seen from when the national lockdown was announced in March 2020. Therefore, data has been considered as “affected by the pandemic” from 12 March 2020 to March 2022.
As with previous years, most road traffic has trended back towards levels seen before the pandemic.
9. Context and user feedback
The local ‘A’ road measures presented in this release were developed to provide a more complete picture of travel times on local ‘A’ roads and to align with measures introduced for the SRN.
Following user feedback this release has developed the statistics to include Subnational Transport Body level data for the SRN and local ‘A’ roads. Interactive maps have also been developed using ArcGIS Online for the SRN and local ‘A’ roads. We will continue to review the content and presentation of these statistics, which we expect to develop further over time. Please contact us with any feedback you have, or if you would like further information.
10. Methodology and technical details
Average Speed and Delays are calculated from in-vehicle GPS units and weighted by road traffic flows to better represent the volume of traffic at different locations and times of day. For the Local ‘A’ roads data, the sample includes cars and vans.
It is important to note that although figures are produced for average speed and average delay on both the Local ‘A’ and SRN networks, they are not directly comparable. The methodological differences between the Local ‘A’ road and SRN data prevents comparison between the 2 road types. A full explanation and further information on the data used, methodology, quality assurance and other sources of data can be found in the background quality report. Data throughout this release is compared on an annual basis, rather than quarterly within year, due to seasonality.
Due to a change in data provider causing a step-change, data for Local ‘A’ roads can only be compared from January 2019 onwards using the current data tables. See the associated report on the change in supplier for further information.
11. Glossary
The glossary below contains some key terms utilised in this statistical release and how these are defined.
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Average Speed | Speed is measured in miles per hour and is an estimate of the physical level of congestion across the entire day (24-hour period). The metric weights speed observations from a sample of vehicles so that it is representative of traffic volumes. The weighting for local ‘A’ roads accounts for associated traffic flows, time period, month, urban or rural classification, and local authority. |
| Average Delay | Delay is measured in seconds per vehicle per mile and is the difference between free flow travel times and recorded average journey times across the entire day (24-hour period). This metric is indicative of the relative congestion on the network. Road users do not typically expect free flow conditions and will perceive delay relative to their expected conditions. |
| Free Flow Speed | Free Flow for Local ‘A’ roads is measured as the 85th percentile speed observation for each individual road section. Free flow speeds are ‘capped’ at national speed limits to give an estimated speed of traffic if there was no congestion. |
| Urban and Rural Roads | For statistical purposes, the Department for Transport defines ‘urban’ roads to be those within a settlement of 10,000 people or more. This is consistent with the Rural and Urban Area Classification 2011. All other roads are defined as ‘rural’. |
| SRN | Strategic Road Network. The SRN covers ‘A’ roads and motorways that are operated by National Highways. |
| STB | Sub-national Transport Body. The STBs are transport bodies formed of multiple local highways authorities to provide large-scale strategic governance. STBs are given statutory power through secondary legislation. |
12. About these statistics
These official statistics were independently reviewed by the Office for Statistics Regulation and confirmed as Accredited Official Statistics in 2012. They comply with the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics and should be labelled ‘accredited official statistics’.
13. Next update
The next quarterly table update in this series is expected to be published in June 2024. This will contain monthly, and annual (year ending) figures, for the period April 2023 to March 2024. This will include new figures for the period January 2024 to March 2024.
The next annual written report is expected to be published in February 2025 and will contain annual figures for 2024.
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16. Contact us
Road congestion and travel times
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