Seattle still among nation's most congested cities, even as traffic falls to historic lows

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Seattle drivers spent an average of 25 hours in congestion in 2020 — a 67% decrease from 2019 — according to a report released Tuesday by Kirkland-based transportation analytics company Inrix.

Among the country’s 25 most congested cities, that was the sixth sharpest decline. Even so, Seattle was the 15th most congested city in the U.S. in 2020.

Inrix transportation analyst and report author Bob Pishue said it’s not surprising that congestion fell so much in Seattle, where some of the largest employers are tech firms and employees can more easily work from home. In February 2021, trips to downtown Seattle were down 50% compared to February 2020, before the pandemic spread in the region.

Still, Seattle traffic didn’t dissipate as much as some other locales due to many manufacturing jobs that kept people on the roads. Washington D.C., which saw the highest percent reduction in congestion, has a local economy fueled by politics and IT, which have largely transitioned to be remote.

https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2021/03/10/inrix-global-traffic-scorecard-2020-seattle.html

[RainCaster]

1. Thanks to the Seattle City Council for this

Too many years of punishing auto owners while not providing competent mass transit.

[Ka-Dinh Oy]

2. I loath driving in Seattle.

None of the other drivers seem very nice and there is always some construction of one type or another.

I am so glad I rarely have to go. When I do I make others drive. When I do have to drive I am freaking out.

I do not mind driving in Portland Oregon. Even their rush hour on a Friday is better.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

3. Guess your experience with Portland is different than mine

First of all the way I-5 southbound is configured in Portland requires a couple of lane changes if one wants to drive through. If one picks one of the outer two lanes in Seattle driving through is not as much a problem.

Northbound through Portland I swear I've never seen so many HOV cheats. There were even semis driving in the HOV lane. It's pretty hefty fine in Washington State if you get get caught driving in these lanes without the requisite number of passengers.