Rush hour

The name is sometimes a misnomer, as the peak period often lasts more than one hour and the "rush" refers to the volume of traffic, not the speed of its flow.

The frequency of public transport service is usually higher in the rush hour, and longer trains or larger vehicles are often used.

If there is inadequate capacity, this can make public transport less attractive, leading to higher car use and partly shifting the congestion to roads.

The day of the week for each vehicle is derived from the last digit in the licence plate number and the rule is enforced by traffic police (1 and 2 for Mondays, 3 and 4 for Tuesdays, 5 and 6 for Wednesdays, 7 and 8 for Thursdays and 9 and 10 for Fridays).

[3] This policy is aimed at reducing the number of vehicles on the roads and encouraging the use of buses, subway and the urban train systems.

[7] In the pico y placa (peak and license plate) program in Bogotá, drivers of non-commercial automobiles are prevented from driving them during rush hours on certain days of the week.

Railways in the Greater Tokyo Area are traditionally known to be severely congested, with oshiya employed to assist passengers getting on the train.

No off-peak discount version of these passes is offered since there is insufficient demand; commuters usually cannot avoid the rush hour.

The program stipulates that vehicles are prohibited from plying all roads within the metropolis, depending on the last digit of their license plates and on the day of the week.

This table shows the license plates with numbers ending with its corresponding days: Exempted from the program are motorcycles, school buses, shuttle buses, ambulances, fire engines, police cars, military vehicles, those carrying a person needing immediate medical attention, and vehicles with diplomatic license plates.

This is an attempt to encourage commuters' travel on the London Underground, Docklands Light Railway, buses, and trams outside of the crowded weekday morning peak.

In Manchester, the Metrolink light rail system offers single, return and 'Metromax' daysaver tickets at a reduced price when they are purchased after 9:30 am.

This incentive is designed to lure passengers into avoiding the daily crowded conditions at Metrolink stations during rush hour.

[14] Efforts to manage transportation demand during rush hour periods vary by state and by metropolitan area.

Transportation officials in Colorado and Minnesota have added value pricing to some urban freeways around Denver, the Twin Cities, and Seattle, charging motorists a higher toll during peak periods.

Transit agencies such as Metro-North serving New York City often charge riders a higher "peak fare" for travel during the morning and evening rush hour.

The term "third rush hour" has been used to refer to a period of the midday in which roads in urban and suburban areas become congested due to numerous people taking lunch breaks using their vehicles.

Morning rush hour on the New York City Subway platform at Jackson Heights–Roosevelt Avenue
Afternoon rush hour traffic on Interstate 95 in Miami
A set on the Sydney Trains network. All suburban trains on the network have two decks for increased capacity.
Fuxingmen station transfer from Line 2 to Line 1 . Note the barrier used to restrict passenger flow to reduce congestion on Line 1 platforms.
Rush hour at Shinjuku Station , Tokyo . The station is the world's busiest, [ 9 ] used by approximately 3.8 million passengers per day in 2008.
Heavy rush hour congestion on US 25 along Gratiot Avenue in Detroit in the 1940s
Traffic in Atlanta during rush hour
Traffic heading into Philadelphia on Interstate 95 during the morning rush hour