As measured by brake lights, the Great Recession is officially over.
Congestion in the central Puget Sound region is up 19 percent over pre-recession levels, according to the 2015 Corridor Capacity Report. The annual Washington State Department of Transportation report gives an in-depth look at 2014 traffic figures.
That mirrors economic trends that, from 2012 to 2014, included a 5 percent bump in employment along with more registered vehicles, more licensed drivers and lower gas prices.
King and Snohomish counties accounted for 90 percent of state’s congestion in 2014. And the area saw a 1 percent increase in delay compared to 2012.
What does a 1 percent increase in traffic mean?
It means we’re spending more time in traffic, and that congestion is getting thicker. State graphs meant to illustrate the trend show growing splotches of darkness. And in many cases, the commute feels as bruising as those graphs look.
At 51 minutes, the average I-5 morning commute from Everett to Seattle took seven minutes longer in 2014 compared to 2012.
But if commuters wanted to be sure to reach work on time, they needed to set aside 1 hour 15 minutes for the morning commute. That reliable commute time, which accounts for the year’s worst traffic, increased 9 minutes compared to 2012.
It was a similar story on I-405. Commuters took an average 58 minutes to travel from Everett to Bellevue, up 6 minutes from 2012. The reliable commute time was 95 minutes, up 14 minutes over 2012. Bothell was one of the increasingly hot spots.
For I-5, the carpool lane is a commuter’s best bet for a faster drive.
The reliable commute time from Everett to Seattle in the carpool lane was 74 minutes, compared to 89 minutes for transit and 95 minutes for general purpose lane drivers.
On I-405, the same was true. Those carpool lanes were replaced this fall with express toll lanes. The switch to tolling is expected to also improve transit commutes going forward.
Transit users already help the overall picture, particularly on I-5, where ridership of nearly 12,000 people equates to more than two lanes of car traffic.
The effect of transit on I-405 is far less. There are 16 times the number of bus trips for the morning commute on I-5 south compared to I-405 south, which has just 14 bus trips. That equates to just over one-tenth of a lane of car traffic.
The buses that are available for the I-405 commute are well-used, with 94 percent of available seats typically filled for the morning commute.
In the future, the state expects to replace carpool lanes all the way down I-405 to Renton with toll lanes.
Tolling is meant to help with congestion. On Highway 167 south of Renton, where high-occupancy toll lanes were added in 2008, vehicle hours of delay are down 24 percent compared to pre-recession levels.
More information
For the state’s interactive tour of the 2015 Corridor Capacity Report, go to bit.ly/CCR15statewidemap.
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