CLEVELAND, Ohio – Ohioans have cut their travel nearly in half since Gov. Mike DeWine called for restrictions to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus, data collected by the Ohio Department of Transportation suggests.
The department monitors traffic on several roads to help with planning, so it collects counts of vehicles using these roads on a daily basis. On most days, the counts show, traffic statewide is down more than 40% from usual, with some weekend days decreasing by more than 50%.
See below for traffic changes on measured roads, by day, for different regions of the state.
Here’s what the recent data shows for a few key highways in Cuyahoga County:
The George V. Voinovich Bridge carrying I-90 traffic over the Cuyahoga River downtown:
Normal: 152,486/day
Monday, March 30: 80,790
Down 47%
I-71 north of I-480
Normal: 111,293/day
Monday, March 30: 58,049
Down 48%
I-90 east of downtown (152nd St.)
Normal: 116,952/day
Monday, March 30: 68,053
Down 43%
The data does not show small trips people take within their own neighborhoods, or how many miles people are traveling. It also does not distinguish between personal passenger vehicles and trailers hauling commercial goods.
Click here to see a different measure of traffic changes in Ohio, as reported by the New York Times.
Here’s what ODOT reports for the different parts of Ohio:
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