Why is the Traffic so Bad in Liverpool?
There are many things for Scousers to be proud of. Whether it be The Beatles, the two football clubs, or the famous sense of humour, people from Liverpool get to brag about countless different aspects of their life.
One thing that they don’t really get to talk about, however, is the state of the traffic in Liverpool.
There are obviously certain occasions when it makes sense for the traffic to be bad, such as the hosting of an event, but even during the rest of the year, it isn’t a fun city to drive around.
Why might that be the case?
Roads in Terrible Condition
In 2022, a report published by the Department for Transport revealed that Liverpool officials had the worst roads in England. With less than half of the A roads around the city considered to be in ‘good’ condition, drivers are always likely to struggle when trying to get around the place.
Add in the fact that only a third of B and C roads are of a good standard, and you can begin to understand why it is that people dread taking to the road in and around Liverpool. From potholes to poorly patched-up areas, it is not a good look.
Someone’s on the wind up with the roadworks in Liverpool surely
— Danny Kenny (@DKenny126) February 24, 2023
It means that drivers are regularly finding their journeys interrupted and made more difficult by roadworks taking place to try to put some semblance of order back to the roads that people are having to drive on every day.
It is little wonder that people grow frustrated and feel as though they’re not getting anywhere when the roads that they’re trying to use are closed or access is limited thanks to the latest bout of roadworks that are ongoing. It is one of the worst aspects of trying to get around the city centre, which is regularly plagued by roadworks.
@dannysdrivingschool It takes a lot to get me this wound up! But what’s going on? #driving #drivinginstructor #roads #liverpool #roadworks #frustration ♬ original sound – Danny’s driving school
The presence of such work may be necessary in parts of the centre, but they are nevertheless causing major issues for the people who need to travel around Liverpool on a regular basis.
In January of 2025, for example, a taxi driver pointed out that a journey to the south end of the city should take 15 minutes but was taking 45. It was, according to the council, a combination of scheduled works happening at the same time as emergency works, causing mayhem for anyone trying to get into or around the city centre.
It’s Only Going to Get Worse
The bad news for people that need to drive around Liverpool for work or because they live in the area is that the state of driving around the city is only going to get worse.
Everton will be moving into their new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock ahead of the start of the 2024-2025 season, which will put added pressure on the roads around the Strand. It is already one of the busiest parts of Liverpool, thanks in no small part to the fact that there is very little alternative but to drive along it if you want to get to the Albert Dock or other areas in a car.
Can you imagine how this would look in Liverpool. It would have cars parked all over it!
— charliee1972.bsky.social (@charliee1972.bsky.social) 20 February 2025 at 14:08
When the club held a test event in March of 2025, traffic around the Strand was at an absolute standstill. Admittedly there was also a half marathon taking place along the front at the same time, but it isn’t as though the city never hosts multiple events at the same time. Can it be guaranteed that there won’t be something on at the Marks & Spencer’s Arena at the same time that Everton are playing, for example?
The fact that the public transport infrastructure around Liverpool is so poor certainly won’t help things either.
It’s Bad For Pedestrians Too
In April of 2024, research was released that revealed that Liverpool was the most dangerous city in Britain for pedestrians.
Analysis was carried out by the Department of Transport that looked at datasets from between 2018 and 2022, with the information obtained revealing that there were the equivalent of 65 casualties per 100,000 residents in Liverpool, with as many as 88% of deaths occurring on urban streets.
When the research was put together, it put Liverpool at the top as the most dangerous.
If you’re keen to try to avoid being in a situation where you might fall foul of the dangerousness of Liverpool’s roads, you might want to avoid heading out between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m., given the fact that that is when most occur.
Although the fact that it is a dangerous city for pedestrians doesn’t explain why it is such a bad city to drive around, it is another factor that the powers that be on Merseyside should be taking into account when they look to see how things can be improved on the roads. It isn’t just drivers that need to be catered for.
