Costa Rica’s roads face mounting pressure as the number of cars on the road expands at a rapid pace, outstripping infrastructure improvements and pushing traffic congestion to new heights. With nearly two million vehicles now registered, daily commutes have turned into prolonged ordeals for residents, highlighting a systemic challenge that shows no signs of easing.
The vehicle volume has seen substantial growth since the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year, authorities issued 1,943,587 vehicle registrations, marking a 3% increase from the previous year and a 21% rise over the past five years. This surge reflects a broader trend: the fleet tripled in the last 25 years, from about 632,000 vehicles in 2000 to today’s figures.
Last year alone, over 470 new vehicles entered the roads each day, mainly cars, motorcycles, and light trucks. While electric vehicles lead Latin America in adoption, with Costa Rica topping the region for three straight years and EVs claiming over 25% of new registrations in late 2025, the overall volume of vehicles continues to climb, adding to the strain.
Public transportation use has dropped sharply, worsening the reliance on private cars. Bus ridership fell to 323 million passengers in 2025, down 19% from 2022 levels. Trains have held steady, carrying just over 3.5 million passengers last year, but service runs only during peak hours and serves far fewer people than buses. This decline leaves more drivers on the roads, particularly in the Greater Metropolitan Area, where key routes buckle under the load.
Congestion now ranks among the world’s worst. Numbeo data from last year placed Costa Rica second globally for traffic woes, trailing only Nigeria. INRIX’s 2025 Global Traffic Scorecard echoes this, noting high delays in urban areas. In San José, what used to be defined rush hours have blurred into all-day jams.
A 15-kilometer trip from Juan Santamaría International Airport in Alajuela to La Sabana Metropolitan Park in Mata Redonda can take an hour or more during peak times, according to navigation apps like Waze, averaging speeds of about 15 kilometers per hour. Accidents or breakdowns amplify the problem, turning minor incidents into widespread backups.
The impact hits hard on daily life. Thousands of commuters lose hours each week stuck in traffic, which extends beyond the capital to provinces like Guanacaste and Limón. Recent events, such as collisions on the General Cañas highway, paralyzed the city for days, underscoring the fragility of the system. Poor road conditions, including potholes and outdated designs, compound the issue, with some routes unchanged despite the fleet’s growth.
Accidents have risen alongside the congestion. In the first weeks of this year, at least 95 people died in traffic incidents—nearly two per day—and over 1,500 suffered injuries. Exceeding speed limits remains the top cause of fatalities, with 161 deaths linked to it in 2025. Authorities issued thousands of fines, but enforcement struggles amid a strained traffic police force facing staff shortages and administrative hurdles.
Solutions lag behind the crisis. Road-widening projects and an proposed electric train system remain stalled, hampered by planning delays and budget constraints. Presidential candidates in the 2026 elections have proposed fixes, including public transport overhauls and reforms to the Ministry of Public Works and Transportation, but progress is slow. Infrastructure spending falls short, with only a fraction of allocated funds executed, leaving the network ill-equipped for current demands.
As the fleet grows, so does the urgency for action. Without swift changes, Costa Rica’s traffic troubles risk deepening, affecting productivity, safety, and quality of life for all of us here.
