L.A. traffic is slightly better, but that may not be good news.

New data show congestion dipped in 2025, knocking Los Angeles down a couple spots on the global traffic rankings. Dec. 12, 2025 4:12 PM PT

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But experts say the change isn’t because of better roads or transit. Instead, remote work, high downtown office vacancies, and a still-struggling city core may be keeping cars off the road. Angelenos are still spending nearly four days a year stuck in traffic — and the economic cost remains in the billions. Tom Carroll spoke with reporter Terry Castleman to learn more.

Tom Carroll is a content creator for the Los Angeles Times. Before joining The Times in 2022, he created, produced and hosted the web series “Tom Explores Los Angeles.” He has produced stories for NPR and Gimlet. A fourth-generation Southern Californian, he is a graduate of Occidental College and the University of Southern California.

Terry Castleman is a data reporter on the Fast Break Desk covering breaking news. In 2020, he was named alongside his colleagues as a Pulitzer Prize finalist in explanatory reporting. Previously, he worked at the New York Times and volunteered as a first responder for refugees arriving on the shores of Lesvos.