Q COSTARICA — Costa Rica’s national road network is experiencing one of its most critical periods due to congestion. According to data from the Consejo de Seguridad Vial (Cosevi)—Road Safety Council, cited in an article in the newspaper El Observador, in areas such as San José, Tibás, Curridabat, and Montes de Oca, up to 90% of roads experience severe traffic jams during peak hours.
During the Seminario de Movilidad Segura (Safe Mobility Seminar), organized by the State insurer, the Instituto Nacional de Seguros (INS), Cosevi presented a detailed study. This report revealed that congestion in the Greater Metropolitan Area (GAM) has reached levels comparable to those recorded before the pandemic.
According to data, the growth of the vehicle fleet, especially motorcycles, has been a determining factor. In the last year alone, more than 63,000 new motorcycles were registered, a considerable jump compared to previous years.
The consequences of this traffic congestion are not only reflected in traffic jams but also in the notable reduction of average travel speed.
During morning rush hour, vehicles barely move at 12 km/h, while in the afternoon the figure drops to 9 km/h. In some cantons, the situation is more serious: in Tibás and Curridabat, the average speed during the afternoon rush hours is 7 km/h; In Moravia, the average speed drops to as low as 6 km/h.
In response to the question about the impact of traffic jams, the Cosevi report shows that congestion affects both private vehicles and public transportation.
Buses, for example, travel at speeds between 6 and 8 km/h in the densest traffic jams, significantly lengthening travel times and increasing costs for users and companies.
Differences between urban and rural areas
The analysis revealed marked contrasts between urban and rural areas. In the GAM, the reduction in speed is more pronounced during the afternoon, while outside the urban center, the decreases do not reach the same critical levels.
According to the report, San José stands out as the canton with the greatest drop in speed: from 14 km/h in the morning to only 7 km/h in the afternoon. Other locations such as Santa Ana and Alajuela, also show notable decreases, although less extreme.
The increase in the number of vehicles, mainly motorcycles, has increased the pressure on a limited infrastructure.
According to official Bohián Pérez Stéfanov, this growth has directly impacted mobility and the recurrence of traffic congestion.
As of 2026, Costa Rica’s vehicle fleet has experienced explosive growth over the last decade, expanding by nearly 100% since 2010 to surpass a major milestone of over 2 million registered vehicles.
This rapid motorization has outpaced public road infrastructure, triggering significant city congestion. Between 2024 and 2025 alone, the vehicular fleet grew by 174,000 new units, marking one of the fastest year-over-year expansions on record, according to the Tico Times.
Fueled by the National Decarbonization Plan and heavy tax exemptions, the Electric Vehicle (EV) segment grew by 2,200% over the last eight years. Electric units now represent roughly 15.4% of the total active vehicle fleet, the highest market share in the Americas. The rise in personal car ownership is deeply tied to a lack of expansive mass transit infrastructure, forcing private transit
Challenges and Recommendations from Cosevi
Cosevi has emphasized the urgent need to strengthen road safety programs within the business sector and to promote teleworking as a measure to reduce commuting. The introduction of new technologies and the improvement of public transportation appear as central pillars of the proposed strategy.
While the OECD (in 2021, Costa Rica became the first country from Central America to join) notes that Costa Rica has an extensive road network, its quality is notoriously low due to years of deferred maintenance.
Costa Rica’s road infrastructure deficit is primarily managed by the Consejo Nacional de Vialidad (CONAVI) and the Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes (MOPT). Public spending on transport infrastructure plummeted over the past decade, primarily due to corruption, contract issues, expropriations, bureaucracy, and the prioritization of repairs over new roads.
The Greater Metropolitan Area (GAM) of San José primarily relies on three major highways for entry and exit, handling the vast majority of commuter and commercial traffic: Ruta 1 (General Cañas / Bernardo Soto), Ruta 2 (Florencio del Castillo / Interamericana Sur), and Ruta 27 (Próspero Fernández).
While it can be argued that are more, for example, the Ruta 32 (Braulio Carrillo Highway), the northeastern route cutting through the mountains and Braulio Carrillo National Park, connecting the GAM directly to the Caribbean coast (Limón), is notoriously unreliable, frequently closing for hours or days due to landslides, heavy fog, and severe weather.mOthers, are typically smaller, winding two-lane roads.
The report’s conclusions are clear: the combination of an expanding vehicle fleet and insufficient infrastructure demands the urgent implementation of mobility measures to reduce congestion and the risk of accidents in the country’s main urban centers.