It’s been stated a few times already, but queue times are down as a direct result of healers wanting to queue this mode. Having a partner DPS to queue with as a healer fills an important gap for non-mobile healers, which is having agency on the outcome of the match outside teamfight. In many maps, teamfight is actually a lower priority than rotating and capping nodes. This makes disc priests and other slow healers who have significant experience in things like RBGs feel bad, because you end up with strong visibility over the state of the match but little to no impact outside skirmishes (MW and vokers are unique due to their extreme mobility). The end result being is that DPS queues are not heinous and the mode is, currently, healthy and popular. **Note: Inflated MMR is helping here. Please do this for other brackets, Bliz.
To another extent, this mode is relatively new and there is a MASSIVE disparity right now between RBG players, who have a solid understanding of the maps, meta, and win conditions already, and folks who are used to random BGs, which look similar, but are far more different than most realize. The result is that even at ~1600, you’re queuing in with, sometimes, multiple HOTA/HOTH and R1s. Don’t get discouraged. Or come back in a bit and try after the placements have worked themselves out if you’re feeling frustrated.
Lastly, there’s communities and streamers who have avenues to find partners to queue with. If you feel that not duo queuing is giving you a disadvantage, you can solve this easier than you think by evening the playing field.