diff --git a/docs/CURRENT-STATE.md b/docs/CURRENT-STATE.md
index 55b7a63ab..109015c4d 100644
--- a/docs/CURRENT-STATE.md
+++ b/docs/CURRENT-STATE.md
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 # God's Eye View Current State
 
+Traffic holds continuous rendering only while enabled with animated dots or a pulsing jam heat-line. Empty, failed, and high-altitude views release the hold; population admission reacquires it and resets animation time. Clear, disable, and destroy also release it. Retained fading dots keep animation alive until they are removed.
+
 Shared distance checks use `src/geoDistance.js` with `{ lat, lon }` points and
 the IUGG mean spherical Earth radius, 6371.0088 km. `greatCircleKm` is
 canonical; `greatCircleMeters` is its exact metre conversion. Missing,
diff --git a/src/layers/traffic/animation.js b/src/layers/traffic/animation.js
index 05afde1c1..4d9f6c4b3 100644
--- a/src/layers/traffic/animation.js
+++ b/src/layers/traffic/animation.js
@@ -20,6 +20,20 @@ export function createAnimation({
   parts,
   source,
 }) {
+  function syncRenderDemand() {
+    const needed = Boolean(
+      layerState._enabled &&
+      (layerState._dots.length || layerState._heatJamPrim),
+    );
+    if (needed === Boolean(layerState._renderHeld)) return;
+    layerState._renderHeld = needed;
+    if (needed) {
+      layerState._lastAnimTime = 0;
+      services.render.holdContinuousRender('traffic');
+      layerState._viewer?.scene?.requestRender?.();
+    } else services.render.releaseContinuousRender('traffic');
+  }
+
   /**
    * Spawn animated dot primitives along a single road.
    *
@@ -188,6 +202,7 @@ export function createAnimation({
             : null,
       });
     }
+    syncRenderDemand();
   }
 
   /**
@@ -206,6 +221,8 @@ export function createAnimation({
    */
 
   function animate() {
+    syncRenderDemand();
+    if (!layerState._renderHeld) return;
     const now = Date.now();
     // Delta time in seconds, capped to avoid jumps when returning from background tab
     const dt = layerState._lastAnimTime
@@ -339,6 +356,13 @@ export function createAnimation({
     layerState._count = 0;
     layerState._bucketCounts = { free: 0, slow: 0, jam: 0, sim: 0 };
     layerState._closedRoads = 0;
+    syncRenderDemand();
   }
-  return { spawnDotsForRoad, animate, maybeStopLight, clearDots };
+  return {
+    spawnDotsForRoad,
+    animate,
+    maybeStopLight,
+    clearDots,
+    syncRenderDemand,
+  };
 }
diff --git a/src/layers/traffic/lifecycle.js b/src/layers/traffic/lifecycle.js
index 94c40d935..fc13e205d 100644
--- a/src/layers/traffic/lifecycle.js
+++ b/src/layers/traffic/lifecycle.js
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@ export function createLifecycle({
   parts,
   source,
 }) {
-  const { holdContinuousRender, releaseContinuousRender } = services.render;
   const { resetFlowTileCache } = source;
 
   const methods = {
@@ -81,7 +80,7 @@ export function createLifecycle({
       layerState._enabled = true;
       layerState._surfaceFrameRemover = observeTrafficSurface(viewer.scene);
       if (layerState._roadMode !== 'tomtom') source.prefetch?.();
-      holdContinuousRender('traffic'); // per-frame animator (perf wave 2)
+      parts.animation.syncRenderDemand();
       layerState._lastAnimTime = 0;
       layerState._pointCollection.show = true;
 
@@ -142,7 +141,7 @@ export function createLifecycle({
     disable(viewer) {
       layerState._enabled = false;
       services.credits?.hideOsmCredit?.(layerState._viewer, 'traffic');
-      releaseContinuousRender('traffic');
+      parts.animation.syncRenderDemand();
       clearTimeout(layerState._fetchTimeout);
       clearInterval(layerState._enableKickTimer);
       layerState._enableKickTimer = null;
diff --git a/src/layers/traffic/motion.test.mjs b/src/layers/traffic/motion.test.mjs
index 3c230d870..6338eb10f 100644
--- a/src/layers/traffic/motion.test.mjs
+++ b/src/layers/traffic/motion.test.mjs
@@ -37,7 +37,14 @@ function setup(t) {
       visibleRoadsForAltitude: (roads) => roads,
     },
   };
-  const ctx = { state, services: {}, parts, source: {} };
+  const ctx = {
+    state,
+    services: {
+      render: { holdContinuousRender() {}, releaseContinuousRender() {} },
+    },
+    parts,
+    source: {},
+  };
   parts.style = createStyle(ctx);
   parts.model = createModel(ctx);
   parts.animation = createAnimation(ctx);
diff --git a/src/layers/traffic/renderDemand.test.mjs b/src/layers/traffic/renderDemand.test.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..df5965145
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/layers/traffic/renderDemand.test.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+import test from 'node:test';
+import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
+import { createAnimation } from './animation.js';
+
+test('traffic render demand follows animated population and jam lines across empty, disable and re-enable', () => {
+  const calls = [];
+  const state = { _enabled: true, _dots: [], _motion: { rebuilds: 0 } };
+  const animation = createAnimation({
+    state,
+    services: {
+      render: {
+        holdContinuousRender: (id) => calls.push(['hold', id]),
+        releaseContinuousRender: (id) => calls.push(['release', id]),
+      },
+    },
+    parts: {
+      retention: { clear() {} },
+      rendering: {
+        removeHeatLines() {
+          state._heatJamPrim = null;
+        },
+      },
+    },
+  });
+  animation.syncRenderDemand();
+  assert.deepEqual(calls, []);
+  state._dots.push({});
+  animation.syncRenderDemand();
+  animation.syncRenderDemand();
+  assert.deepEqual(calls, [['hold', 'traffic']]);
+  animation.clearDots();
+  assert.deepEqual(calls.at(-1), ['release', 'traffic']);
+  state._heatJamPrim = {};
+  animation.syncRenderDemand();
+  assert.deepEqual(calls.at(-1), ['hold', 'traffic']);
+  state._enabled = false;
+  animation.syncRenderDemand();
+  assert.deepEqual(calls.at(-1), ['release', 'traffic']);
+  state._enabled = true;
+  animation.clearDots();
+  assert.equal(state._renderHeld, false);
+  state._dots.push({});
+  animation.syncRenderDemand();
+  assert.equal(state._renderHeld, true);
+});
diff --git a/src/layers/traffic/rendering.js b/src/layers/traffic/rendering.js
index 7e148148d..bf0132b98 100644
--- a/src/layers/traffic/rendering.js
+++ b/src/layers/traffic/rendering.js
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ export function createRendering({
       layerState._heatSlowPrim = null;
     }
     layerState._heatLineCount = 0;
+    parts.animation.syncRenderDemand?.();
   }
 
   /**
@@ -152,6 +153,7 @@ export function createRendering({
     }
 
     layerState._heatLineCount = kept.length;
+    parts.animation.syncRenderDemand?.();
     if (candidates.length > kept.length) {
       console.log(
         `[Data:Traffic] Heat-lines capped at ${HEAT_LINE_CAP} (${candidates.length} congested roads in view)`,
diff --git a/src/layers/traffic/retention.js b/src/layers/traffic/retention.js
index 4bfe7bfb6..ec0762b5c 100644
--- a/src/layers/traffic/retention.js
+++ b/src/layers/traffic/retention.js
@@ -125,6 +125,7 @@ export function createRetention({ state, parts }) {
       count++;
     }
     state._count = count;
+    parts.animation.syncRenderDemand?.();
   }
   function reconcile(roads, height, replace) {
     altitude = height;
diff --git a/src/layers/transit/lifecycle.test.mjs b/src/layers/transit/lifecycle.test.mjs
index 8a2d39edf..9bc5cb5b1 100644
--- a/src/layers/transit/lifecycle.test.mjs
+++ b/src/layers/transit/lifecycle.test.mjs
@@ -3576,7 +3576,7 @@ test('actual Traffic, Bikeshare and Transit lifecycles retain sensitivity in eve
     source: {},
     parts: {
       flow: { ensureFlowStatus: noop },
-      animation: { animate: noop, clearDots: noop },
+      animation: { animate: noop, clearDots: noop, syncRenderDemand: noop },
       viewport: { onCameraChanged: noop },
       ingestion: { cancelActiveFetch: noop },
     },