Rush hour

A rush hour is a part of the day with busy traffic and hence traffic congestion on the roads and crowded public transport; normally the two periods in a day when people are travelling to or from work or school.

Related Topics:
Traffic - Traffic congestion - Road - Public transport - Travelling to or from work

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The name is a misnomer: it is usually more than an hour. Typically, rush hour lasts from 6:00 to 10:00 AM and 3:00 to 7:00 PM, local time. In regions where school children finish in the mid-afternoon, a new pre-rush hour has started with parents collecting their children by car on the school run. This is typically around 3:30 PM. With people travelling places during their lunch time by car too, it is arguable that 12:00 noon till 2:00 PM is another, less frantic, rush hour.

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The frequency of public transport is usually higher in the rush hour, and in the case of trains, longer ones are often employed. However, the increase in capacity is often less than the number of passengers, due to the limits on available vehicles, staff and, in the case of rail transport, track capacity including platform length. As a result vehicles are more crowded and not everybody has a seat. This may have the effect of making public transport less desirable, therefore pushing more people into cars and making the traffic worse.

Related Topics:
Train - Platform - Seat

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Travel demand management, such as road pricing or a congestion charge, is designed to persuade people to alter their travel habits so as to minimise congestion.

Related Topics:
Travel demand management - Road pricing - Congestion charge

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Similarly public transport fares may be higher; this is usually presented as an off-peak discount for single fares, though season tickets or multi-ride tickets, commonly used in rush hours by commuters, are also sold at a discount.

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